Unfamiliar Feelings
by sakurai-pyon
Summary: Amu and Ikuto are enimies now. But why? Saaya is not right in the head and she will go to any lengths to get Ikuto's love. Amu needs the support of her friends when something tragic happens, but will Saaya make her life into hell instead? bad 1st chap RxR
1. Birthdays and Butterfly Keychains

**Sakurai: AAhh finally able to write down my stories!**

**Amu: I'm sure they'll be great!**

**Ikuto: I'm sure they'll suck.**

**Sakurai: Thank you Amu and SHUT UP IKUTO! DON'T MAKE ME GET OUT THE YARN!**

**Ikuto: I'm not scared of some stupid yarn! What are you gonna do? Tie me up! *crosses arms***

**Saurai: *pulls out yarn* Here kitty kitty. **

**Ikuto: *pounces and gets tangled in the yarn***

**Sakurai: Now apologise!**

**Ikuto: Never!**

**Amu: Guys! Stop fighting! Any way Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or the characters.**

Normal PoV

Amu woke to the sound of chirping birds. She rolled over in her pink covered bed. Looking around her pink colored room. Brushing her pink hair out of her face. How she hated the color pink. Suddenly a tiny figure slammed her PINK door open and jumped up onto her bed.

Amu's PoV

"Happy 16th Birthday, Nii-chan!" I smiled at my little sister, Ami, and tackled her into a bear hug. Today was going to be a great day. Or just the opposite.

After Ami left, mumbling something about preparing my "special B-day breakfast" I climbed out of bed and started getting ready for the day. My choice of clothes was the usual; punk style.

I wore a blood red skirt that reached my upper thigh. Then I had high black boots and a white tee covered by a black hoodie. The sweat shirt had a tiny red heart right above my left bosom. Personally, I thought I looked pretty cool. Then, to top it all off, I added my one and only favorite heart necklace. The one my dad gave me on my 6th B-day, right before he left home.

With one more quick glance at the mirror, I skipped downstairs. My mom, Midori, was sitting at the kitchen table watching Ami cook what I guessed was my "special breakfast."

"Morning, Honey." My mom said, not taking her eyes off Ami. "How did you sleep?" "Fine, you?" I replied with my usual Cool & Spicy attitude. "Also fine." She turned her head towards me and handed me my Chemistry textbook.

"Left this on the couch." I thanked her and took the book. I put it in my bag and when I looked up again, mom was writing things down on a piece of scrap paper. Then she handed it to me and said, "Can you go shopping for me after school today? I have a doctor's appointment."

"Sure"

"And don't forget, there's a sale at Swan's Market. (Don't think it's real but I do not own it if it is.)

"I won't"

"Get the soft toilet paper please. On sale or not."

"I will."

"Hrmm… What am I forgetting?"

"…."

"…." (Ami, grinning widely)

"Oh, that's right. Happy Birthday Sweetie!"

"Thanks mom!"

She got up from the table and gave me a big bear hug. They're famous in my family. "Does this mean I don't have to shop?" "Sorry, but no. I actually have a doctor's appointment today. I can't miss it again. The headaches have come back and I want to know if they have anything to do with my recent sight problems." "Ugh. Fine, I'll go."

Then mom got up to help Ami put everything onto plates. I sat down at the table because I guessed that meant my breakfast was ready.

Ami's PoV

I ran over to the table and gave Big Sissy her food. The food I made for her! I'm so excited to see how she likes it!

"Itatakimasu!" Big Sissy said then taking a bite of my special Birday Breakfast.(It's supposed to be Birthday but she's in like 1st grade.) I felt so happy when she smiled!

Big Sissy finished her meal and left for school. Mommy was going to drive me to my day class. I had a day class in the morning, then lunch at home, then afternoon class. I was in a different school than Big Sissy, but I would be there someday!

"Time to go to school Ami!" Mommy said. I got my backpack. As I was going out the door my favorite butterfly keychain fell off my bag and broke. I was so sad that it broke, so I started crying.

"Aww, Ami it's okay! Mommy will fix it for you before lunch, then you can put it on your bag for afternoon class."

"Really?" I sniffled and Mommy nodded.

She drove me to school and before I got out of the car she gave me her best bear hug.

"I love you!" Mommy said as I climbed out of my car seat.

"I Love you more!"

"Impossible!"

"It's possible, Mommy!" After that Mommy drove away.

I ran over to my friends sitting on the school's purple bench. We talked and giggled. Then our teacher called us to class. As we were walking over, one of my friends asked me,

"What happened to your butterfly keychain?"


	2. Bags, Doors, and Worried Looks

**Sakurai: Yes! Second Chapter!**

**Amu: *Applauds* Congratulations!**

**Sakurai: Thank you! Thank you! I would like to dedicate this Chapter to my frie-**

**Ikuto: SHUT UP! *closes cellphone***

**Sakurai: …..? Ikuto, who were you talking to?**

**Ikuto: That idiot Tadase. NO WAY IN HELL IS HE GONNA STEAL MY STRAWBERRY!**

**Amu: Aww… thank you Ikuto!**

**Ikuto: *Blushes* shut up…. Anyway Sakurai why aren't I in this story yet?**

**Sakurai: I just haven't gotten there yet! Be patient! **

**Ikuto: Fine…. And anyway Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of the characters.**

**Tadase: *bursts in* WAIT! I wanted to do the disclaimer and impress Amu!**

**Amu: um…Tadase…GET OUT!**

Amu's PoV

I ran into my classroom and stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I saw the angry look on my teacher's face. He simply stood there and pointed at the clock on the wall.

It said I was about a half hour late! How is that possible? I looked at my watch, then back at the clock. Back and forth. Back and forth. I can't believe that my watch was wrong!

"Detention. Tomorrow. 2:30. Be there." "Yes sir." I heard a few people giggle as I sat down. My best friend, Utau, leaned over and whispered, "Happy Birthday, Amu!"

"No way! It's Amu's Birthday!" the eavesdropping Kukai Souma exclaimed, standing up so fast his chair fell over. More giggles throughout the room.

"It's great that you're excited and all but would you please sit down? I need to learn this." Said my other best friend, Rima, grumpily.

"Your friend is right." Said our overly irritated teacher. "NOW CAN WE PLEASE GET BACK TO THE LESSON?"

**Lunch** more specifically **the bathroom during Lunch**

Amu's PoV

I walked into the bathroom only to find my biggest enemy standing in front of me. Her name was Saaya and she was the definition of EVIL.

"Look what the cat dragged in." She said.

"Look what the cat dragged in. Wow, clever. How'd you think of that one?"

"Oh, shut up. You're just jealous of me."

"Me? Jealous of you? You've GOT to be kidding me!"

I looked at that girl like she had four eyes. What did she have that made me want to be jealous of her? I simply ignored whatever else she was saying and continued on with my "business."

As I was washing my hands, I accidentally got water on Saaya's purse.

"AAAAAHHHHH! Not my Juicy Couture Bag! Do you even know how much this cost?"

"No. And I'm sorry it was accident."

"Saying sorry won't fix anything! This was a Limited Edition! It cost me four hundred dollars! You are going to pay for a new one"

"No I'm not! It's not my fault you buy over-priced junk!"

If looks could kill, then I would have died by now. The icy glare Saaya was giving me was enough of a reason to do what I usually do; run. I quickly exited the restroom, barely catching Saaya scream something like "you'll pay for this!"

I was on my way back to the Cafeteria when I heard the bell ring. Great. I missed the rest of my lunch! Stupid Saaya!

I got to my classroom and sat down, only to be called to the office five seconds later.

I walked slowly down the hallway, hoping to postpone my return to class as much as I could. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going until I was on my butt because a door hit me in the face.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to."

"I'm fine." I said, but the kid who hit me didn't hear because he was already halfway down the hallway: the teacher yelling "detention!" at him.

This was already turning out to be a pretty bad birthday. Little did I know how bad it was actually going to get.

Ami's PoV

"Haha! Look at Mr. Watermelon!"

My class was watching my favorite movie: Super Fruit to the Rescue. It just got to the good part when Mrs. Green, my teacher, turned off the movie announcing it was time for show and tell.

It wasn't my day to bring something in so I wasn't very excited. Nothing anyone brought in was very cool. It was all stuff like shells, or a picture they drew.

I wish someone would bring something like Monta Honto did a few days ago. HE brought in these really tasty candies him and his uncle made. They were ten times better than Lillie's silly diamond necklace.

On and on show and tell went. Thankfully Mrs. Green saved me. "You have been called to the office." She said with a worried look on her face. Worried. That was strange.

I skipped down the hall on my way to the office. I passed a few teachers on the way. All of them had that same worried look on their face. I checked to see if my skirt was stuck in my underpants again, but they weren't. I couldn't figure out why everyone was looking at me that way.

I couldn't figure it out even when my neighbor, Mrs. Daphne was in the office ready to pick me up. She was wearing that same worried look.

What was going on?

**Sakurai: Yaay! Finally finished! Sorry that chapters are so short. It makes it easier to write.**

**Amu: I don't mind. I'm in a lot of it, even though its small.**

**Ikuto: HEY! Why aren't I in this yet? Not fair!**

**Tadase: Yes! That means I still have a chance!**

**Ikuto: Quiet! You weren't in this chapter either!**

**Tadase: …**

**Amu: Wow I'm so popular today!**

**Sakurai: *Sigh* I'm jealous.**

**Ikuto: I'll give you a hug if you put me in the next chapter! *hugs***

**Sakurai: *punches Ikuto* Bribes don't work on me!**

**Tadase: Yeah! That's pretty low. Even for you, Ikuto.**

**Sakurai: I don't like kiss-ups either.**


	3. Bad News and Bad Friends

**Sakurai: Hiya! Thank you to all the people who have been reading this!**

**Ikuto: Yes! Thank you! If you keep reading, then Sakurai will keep writing!**

**Amu: Wow Ikuto, you're strangely supportive today!**

**Ikuto: Of course! Because If Sakurai keeps writing then I'll be in this story soon!**

**Amu: I knew it was too good to be true…**

**Sakurai: Calm down Ikuto. Did you ever think that maybe you're in THIS chapter?**

**Ikuto: What? Really? Yay!**

**Sakurai: Or maybe not…**

**Ikuto: Mean!**

**Sakurai: Do the disclaimer and maybe I'll think about putting you in this chapter.**

**Ikuto: Fine. Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its Characters.**

Amu's PoV

I walked into the school's office. The lady there said the principal had to talk to me and to wait a few moments. I heard him talking to someone inside his office. The door was closed so I could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

"Are you sure this is the way to tell her?"

"…No other way."

"…Horrible way to find out."

"I know I couldn't deal…"

"Shh…not so loud…kind of personal."

"…Wouldn't want everyone to know…"

"It's time to tell her."

Then I heard noises and the door opened. "Come in" My principal said.

I walked into the room, where I saw my principal and the guidance counselor.

"Sit down. We have something to tell you." I nodded and sat. Wait; was their conversation before about me? What was going on? Suddenly I was very worried.

"Amu…" My principal began, "Amu. Your mother was involved in a car crash."

My blood went cold and my mouth was dry.

"What?" I whispered

"Your mother." He repeated "She was driving down the highway when the car next to her lost control. They collided and her car flipped. Your mom hit her head on the dashboard."

Finally the guidance counselor spoke up. "Sweetie," She said. "Your neighbor, Mrs. Daphne called. She'll be here to drive you to the hospital in a few minutes."

I sat there in shock. I couldn't believe it. I had just seen her a few short hours ago. She had been perfectly fine.

"I know this must be hard on you. I'm so very sorry." My principal said. Then he went on with asking if I wanted some water or something, but I didn't hear him. My whole mind was blank except for one thought: They never said she was dead.

My mind started racing. They had never said she was dead! There could still be a chance!

"You didn't say she was dead!" I exclaimed, jumping out of my seat.

The two of them just stared at me with sad eyes.

"Amu, she got very hurt, you shouldn't get your hopes up. I'm sorry to say that she proba…"

"Don't say that!" I screamed at her. "Never say that! My mom is still alive!"

"But Amu, Sweetie…"

"SHUT UP!" Then I ran out of the office and down the hall. If this had been different situation, I probably would be freaking out that I just screamed at a teacher, but my mind wasn't all there at the moment.

I sprinted towards the school exit. Not sure where exactly I was going. Suddenly I crashed head on into enemy #1. Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

"Hey watch where you're going idiot!"

"Same to you!" Suddenly, all my anxiety and fear about my mom faded away. That's what truly hating a person can do to you.

"You're the one who crashed into me, you psycho!"

"Psycho! It was you who crashed into ME, you traitor!"

"Traitor! You're still hung up on that aren't you?"

"Of course I am! There I was, thinking we were friends and then, BAM, you found a new group of people to hang out with. Completely forgetting about that people who cared about you."

Not sure what's going on? I'm not surprised. I haven't told you about this jerk yet.

*_Flashback*_

_Normal PoV_

_All four of them were sitting around the living room, playing truth or dare. It was Utau's turn to ask a question or give a dare._

"_Rima. Truth or dare?"_

"_Truth."_

"_Aaww... Come on. You always choose truth!"_

"_Fine, Dare."_

"_Okay…you have to eat a spoonful of hot sauce from the kitchen."_

_They all walked into Amu's kitchen and Rima did her dare. Then they returned to their places in the living room._

"_Okay Rima it's your turn to ask a question."_

"_Amu. Truth or dare?"_

"_Dare."_

"_Hrmm…I dare you to…SIT ON IKUTO'S LAP!"_

"_What! No!"_

"_You have to!"_

"…_Fine."_

_Amu stood up and sat on Ikuto's lap. Both of them blush considerably. "Aww… how cute!" exclaimed Rima. She and Utau started laughing uncontrollably. Amu started to get up when Utau stopped her._

"_Nope! You have to stay there until your next turn!"_

"_No way!" Protested Ikuto "She heavy!"_

"_I AM NOT!"_

"_Now brother," said Utau "you know you're enjoying this!"_

_Everyone broke out into laughter. They all calmed down and Amu asked Ikuto, "Truth or dare?"_

"_Truth."_

"_Who do you hate the most and why?"_

"_That's an easy one. Saaya, because she's and annoying, spoilt, ugly, know-it-all brat."_

"_Here! Here!" We all responded happily._

_fast forward a bit_

_Utau, Rima, and Amu were walking down the hall when they spotted Ikuto and called out to him._

"_Hey guys, sorry, but I really don't have time to talk."_

"_Oh, that's fine. We'll talk later at the movie."_

"_Actually, about that, I can't make it. So sorry." Then he ran down the hallway._

_Rima waited until he was out of sight before speaking. "He's been canceling on us a lot hasn't he?"_

"_Yeah. And he's been sneaking out of the house more often."_

"_I say we follow him and see what he's up to!"_

_So the three of them followed Ikuto around after school. He went to the movie theater and bought two tickets. The girls bought tickets too. They followed him into the theater and got seats in the back, far away from him._

_They waited and waited until finally something happened. A girl sat down next to him. They couldn't see her face because the theater was dark._

"_So he's got a girlfriend! That's what this was all about! I wonder why he didn't just tell us!"_

"_Maybe he's embarrassed?"_

"_Maybe."_

_With the mystery resolved, they all settled in and watched the movie._

_Although Amu was heartbroken, she supposed having a girl friend was better than being a gang leader or a drug dealer, like what she had suspected he was doing. When the movie was over, they saw Ikuto and the girl go into a photo booth._

_When they got out, the girl finally got a good look at Ikuto's mystery girlfriend's face. It was Saaya!_

_Utau ran up to them and screamed at Ikuto._

"_What are you doing with HER?" she exclaimed "How could you?"_

"_You haven't told them yet?" Saaya asked Ikuto_

"_I'm going out with Saaya now." He said "I have no need for you three anymore. Leave us alone."_

_Then he walked away. Amu broke into tears. Rima started cursing at the air. Utau just stood there in shock._

_The three never talked about Ikuto from that day on. Utau even stayed away from home as much as possible so she wouldn't run into him there._

_*End of Flashback*_

Back to reality. And back to my fight with Ikuto. I was about to call him another insult when Saaya and her friends walked around the corner and stood next to him, ready to join in the fight.

Yeah. Worst Birthday Ever.

**Sakurai: Ahh… that was a long chapter!**

**Amu: Wow, I can't believe Ikuto did that.**

**Ikuto: Yeah! Why did you make me do that?**

**Sakurai: Quiet or I'll make you do something worse!**

**Ikuto: Fine, I'll keep quiet.**

**Sakurai: Thank you. And thanks to all my readers! I love you guys!(and girls) Please review!**


	4. Fights, Tears, and Liars

**Ikuto: Sakurai is sleeping right now so I'll be taking over this story.**

**Amu: Ikuto! You can't do that! Do you know how hard Sakurai has worked on making this?**

**Ikuto: Worked hard? She hasn't done anything about this story for DAYS!**

**Amu: It's not her fault! Sakurai was feeling upset over the fact that the amount of people reading this each day kept getting less and less.**

**Ikuto: Really? But this story is great!**

**Amu: I know! I don't get her sometimes…**

**Sakurai: Are you talking about me again?**

**Ikuto: Why won't you write anymore?**

**Sakurai: Huh? What are you talking about? I couldn't write because**

** 1. I got in trouble and couldn't use the computer**

** 2. I was sick for a few days**

** 3. I had writers block**

** 4. I had company come and stay for a few days so I had to clean**

**Amu: Oh… That's what I said. Ikuto was making up stories again.**

**Ikuto: I was not!**

**Sakurai: It doesn't matter. I'm back now and ready to write another chapter.**

**Amu: Hurray! Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters.**

_-Recap-_

_I was still in my fight with Ikuto. I was about to call him another insult when Saaya and her friends walked around the corner and stood next to him, ready to join in the fight._

Amu's PoV

"What are you doing, _Honey__?_" Saaya said, excessively emphasizing the word Honey while hanging off of Ikuto's arm. It was if she was trying to make me more pissed than I already was. And it was working.

"You were trying to get him to fall for you, weren't you?" The crazy girl hanging onto Ikuto said.

"Umm… no, not really. He was running down the hallway like an idiot and crashed into me. I was just trying to get him to apologize."

"Is that true, Honey? Or is she lying?"

"She's lying. She was the one who ran into me."

"I was only running because I had to get out of here!"

Then I remembered. My mom. Suddenly I was frantic. I had to leave, RIGHT NOW! I tried to get passed Ikuto and the girls but they wouldn't let me go.

"We're not done yet. Don't think you can just get away that easily!"

"Please," I begged "I have to go!"

"It's still school! Where in the world do you have to be right now?"

"She's making it up."

"She's a liar."

"Don't trust anything she says."

"Yeah. I remember that when Ikuto and Saaya started going out, she was claiming that they used to be friends."

The girls went on and on like this. I wanted to argue that what they were saying was absurd, but my mind was all over the place.

"I'll bet she just wanted Ikuto for herself."

"You slut! Is that what you were trying to do?" 

"No! I wasn't!"

"How could you even think about stealing someone else's boyfriend?"

"That's disgusting!"

I couldn't fight back. They were all talking too fast. And I still had to get to my mom. I tried to push past them, but one of the girls pushed me and I fell.

I could feel the tears start forming in my eyes. I got up and they pushed me down again. They were all laughing and laughing like I was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

I gathered all my energy and finally pushed past them. Right before I started running away, Ikuto grabbed my arm and I turned around. He wasn't laughing like the others, which surprised me.

Then Saaya leaned on his arm again and he seemed to come back to reality. Then he had the scariest expression EVER on his face.

Smiling evilly, he said, "Where are you going? Going to go cry to mommy again, like always?"

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I pulled away from him and slapped him in the face, putting as much strength into it as I could. The girls around him gasped and started cursing at me, but I didn't care. I was already running down the hallway, tears streaming down my face.

I knew deep in my heart that I would never in my life forgive Ikuto.

Ikuto's PoV

I grabbed Amu's arm because I thought I saw her crying. As she turned around I saw that I was right. She wasn't crying yet, but she had tears in her eyes.

Then my "girlfriend" Saaya leaned on me again and it brought me back to reality. I had to think of something to say to Amu, and fast, or else Saaya would bother me again.

So I put on my best 'I'm evil' smile and said, "Where are you going? Going to go cry to mommy again, like always?"

As soon as I said it Amu burst into tears. She looked like I had just run over her sister with a truck and then laughed about it.

Then she slapped me in the face and, damn, did it hurt like hell. All the girls around me were cursing at her but she was already running down the hallway.

Ami's PoV

I watched Big Sissy run out of her school and up to Mrs. Daphne's car. She quickly got inside and gave me a very painful bear hug. I tried to pull out of it until I saw her crying.

I knew it! Something was wrong! First, the people in my school kept giving me those worried looks, then Mrs. Daphne was picking me up early, and now Amu is crying.

I never see Big Sissy cry, so it made me cry too. I didn't want to see her sad.

Mrs. Daphne started driving away.

"Where are we going?" Big Sissy said through her tears.

"Home."

"What! We have to go to the hospital! I have to see my mom!"

"Calm down Amu."

"No! I won't calm down! I have to see my mom!"

"You should really go home and rest first."

"No! Take me to the hospital!"

"If I take you, will you please stop screaming at me? I understand that you are frustrated right now, but that doesn't mean you can take it out on me."

"Fine."

I had no idea what was going on, but I would soon find out.

**Sakurai: Wow that really turned out differently than what I had originally imagined.**

**Amu: I liked it!**

**Ikuto: I did too, but in my PoV, why were there parenthesis around girlfriend?**

**Amu: Yeah, I was curious about that too.**

**Ikuto: Are you telling me she isn't my girlfriend! Yippee!**

**Sakurai: I never said that. She's your girlfriend.**

**Ikuto: Aww… darn it. And Amu, I'm sorry I said that to you. I didn't mean to.**

**Amu: It's okay. I'm sorry I slapped you.**

**Ikuto: It's fine.**

**Sakurai: You two do realize that it's just a story right? **

**Ikuto: …**

**Sakurai: Dummy. Anyway, Read and Review! I really appreciate your support!**


	5. Mom, Doctors, and Detective Johnson

**Sakurai: Hiya! How are you all today? I've been feeling kind of weird all day. Do ya wanna know why?**

**Ikuto: You're always weird. What's new?**

**Sakurai: It feels like someone has been following me around everywhere I go.**

**Amu: Oh no! That's horrible! Have you told the police yet?**

**Sakurai: I can't! This is just a story!**

***Someone suddenly jumps up from behind and gives Sakurai a big hug***

**Sakurai: AAAAHHHHH! Who the hell are you?**

**Stranger: I'm Kazuki! I want to join your disclaimer group!**

**Sakurai, Ikuto, and Amu: No way! We can't just let a stranger in!**

**Kazuki: Aww… but I REEAALLY want to! *gives Sakurai another hug*  
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**Ikuto: Give us a good reason why we should let you!**

**Kazuki: *gives Sakurai ANOTHER hug* because I'll always do the disclaimer for you! And I really want to see Sakurai every chapter!**

**Ikuto and Amu: …. *Sakurai struggles to get Kazuki to stop hugging her but it doesn't work***

**Kazuki: *looking at Ikuto and Amu* Wow! You two make such a cute couple!**

**Ikuto: HE'S IN!**

**Sakurai: *Still struggling* Wait! What? No! Help me! *Kazuki gives an even tighter hug and smiles widely.***

**Kazuki: Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters!**

**Sakurai: HEEELLLPPP!**

Normal PoV

The two sisters hugged each other and cried. Their neighbor, Mrs. Daphne, who was driving the car, had tears forming in her eyes as a result of listening to the two young girls crying.

When they got to the hospital, Mrs. Daphne, despite Amu's protests, made the two stay in the car until they were fully calmed and the redness went away from their eyes.

Slowly they all walked up to the receptionist and Mrs. Daphne got the room number.

They got to the room and Mrs. Daphne made them wait until she said it was okay to go in.

When they walked in the two girls saw tons of people, mostly doctors and a few police officers.

Amu's PoV

I walked in, with Ami clutching onto the back of my shirt. I saw so many doctors surrounding the bed that I couldn't see the person occupying it. All of them moved aside as we came closer. What I saw made me want to scream.

It was my mom, or what was left of her. She had bandages all over her body, most of them bloody. Her beautiful light brown hair was no longer beautiful, but instead it was knotted, bloody, and some of it was missing around where they had to stitch a cut up. She had a cast on her right arm and leg.

Her face was barely recognizable because of all the bruises and cuts. She had a particularly nasty bump on her forehead. I watched her chest go up and down as she slept.

I was still unable to accept that the person in front of me was the cheerful woman I had been living with my entire life.

Before I lost control of my emotions, a young police officer walked over to Ami, Mrs. Daphne, and I. "I would like to speak to the three of you in private please." He said with a nervous voice. Probably sensing the insanity called my emotions. If I let them loose right now, there will be more people next to my mom in a hospital bed…

We went to a different room and sat down across from the young officer who identified himself as Detective Johnson.

"Usually we wouldn't have to talk to the family about regular car accidents, but since this isn't a regular car accident we have to talk." He said. He had a confusing way of talking and it wasn't helping me calm down at all.

"What do you mean not a regular car accident?"

"We'll since we can't find the driver of the car that hit your mother's car, the other police officers and I believe that this car accident is a hit and run case. You're mother is probably innocent of everything, but since she was hit by another person's car and we can't find them and we can't ask your mother about this we are asking you about this." Again with the confusing talk. Wait. Was he accusing mom of something?

"Detective Johnson," Mrs. Daphne said. "I hope you understand the type of stress we are going through right now. I would appreciate it if you could please ask your questions a bit more clearly." Thank god for Mrs. Daphne!

He nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, yes. So sorry about that! I tend to speak and think at the same time so everything comes out in a jumbled mess. I'll work on fixing that! Hahaha, Oh yes, where were we? That's right, your mother."He took a deep breath before continuing.

"To put it simply your mother was involved in a hit and run case and we can't find the driver of the car that hit her."

"You already said that."

"What I'm getting at is that we, the police investigating this case, want to know if there was any person that might want to do this to your mother on purpose. And if that is the case then we need to know why. Of course it could always be true that your mother is just an unlucky victim."

"I can't think of anyone. How about you, Amu?

"Nope, no-one."

"Was your mother acting at all suspicious lately?"

"No."

"Was she meeting with anyone that you don't know?"

"No."

"Did she ever come home really late at night?"

"No."

"Did she ever come home with unexplained bruises?"

"NO!" I was sick and tired of this guy. He was making it sound like my mom was some kind of criminal.

"Why are you asking all these questions? The most probable thing that happened was some drunk guy was driving down the road, hit my mom, and drove away! SHE'S INNOCENT!

I was so angry with him that by the end of that sentence I was out of my chair and in his face screaming at him.

I sat back down, apologized, and then stayed silent while Detective Johnson asked Mrs. Daphne a group of questions similar to mine.

"Why don't we stop the questions for now?" She suggested "I'm sure the girls would like to be by their mother's side, instead of talking to some nosy police officer that they just met." Detective Johnson stared at her. Score one for Mrs. Daphne!

He got up and left the room. The three of us were about to do the same when a doctor came in, wanting to speak to us. We sat down, AGAIN.

"Ah-Hem." He said, clearing his throat. "I have some good news and some bad news."

"Let's hear the good news first."

"Your mother suffered no injury to brain or her major organs."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad. But there was still the bad news to worry about.

"The bad news is… your mother is in a coma."

"When do you think she'll wake up?"

"…"

"Well! Answer me!"

"…"

"Hey! I said, when do you think she'll wake up? Is it soon?"

"…Amu…"

"Yes?"

"I don't think your mom is going to wake up."

"I know it takes some time to get out of a coma so, what, maybe two, three months?"

"Amu, did you hear me?"

"Yeah. I didn't expect her to wake up for a little while so…"

"You misunderstood me. I meant that I don't think your mom is going to wake up… at all."

**Amu: Nooooooooo! Mooooooooommm!**

**Ikuto: Amu calm down! Your real mom is fine. This is just story mom!**

**Amu: *tears* Mom! Mom! *turns to Sakurai* You! How could you do this to her?**

**Sakurai: Amu! It's. A. Story.**

**Amu: Shut up! Murderer!**

**Kazuki: Don't call her that! My sweet Sakurai could never be something as dirty as a murderer!**

**Sakurai: He's right! Wait! *turns to Kazuki* since when am I yours?**

**Amu: *still crying* I wish I could just hear my mom's voice one more time…**

**Amu's mom, Midori: Hi Amu!**

**Amu: Ah! I can hear my mom's spirit! I'm so sorry mom!**

**Midori: Sorry about what?**

**Amu: That evil Sakurai killed you!  
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**Midori: What are you talking about? I'm fine. I was just acting.**

**Sakurai, Ikuto, and Kazuki: I told you so!**

**Amu: But… but…I saw you all bandaged up like that!**

**Midori: I know! Wasn't my acting amazing!**

**Amu: I don't know anything anymore!**


	6. Sadness, Silence, then Strength

**Kazuki: Hellooo everybody! Are you as excited for this story as I am?**

**Sakurai: Hey! You can't just waltz right in here and start a new chapter just because you feel like it!**

**Kazuki: Aww… *pouts* But you were taking so long to write a new one that I thought I would give you a bit of help!**

**Sakurai: Thank you, but I don't need any of your help! **

**Kazuki: Sorry…**

**Sakurai: Dang it! Now I have to write a new chapter!**

**Kazuki: I'm so sorry I made you angry! I'll do the disclaimer so you won't be angry anymore!**

**Sakurai: You're supposed to do the disclaimer! That's the only reason we let you hang around us all the time!**

**Ikuto: Hey! What's the big idea here! No one told me we were starting a new chapter!**

**Sakurai: Kazuki started it without my permission!**

**Ikuto: Arg! I guess I'll go tell Amu to get ready.**

**Sakurai: *stares at Kazuki* Well… I'm waiting!**

**Kazuki: For?**

**Sakurai: Do the disclaimer!**

**Kazuki: Oh, right, sorry! Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters! The only thing she owns is me!**

**Sakurai: Don't say it like that! People will misunderstand!**

**Amu: I'm here! Ready to start the chapter!**

**Sakurai: *HUGE sigh* I guess…**

_Recap_

"_The bad news is… your mother is in a coma."_

"_When do you think she'll wake up?"_

"…"

"_Well! Answer me!"_

"…"

"_Hey! I said, when do you think she'll wake up? Is it soon?"_

"…_Amu…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I don't think your mom is going to wake up."_

"_I know it takes some time to get out of a coma so, what, maybe two, three months?"_

"_Amu, did you hear me?"_

"_Yeah. I didn't expect her to wake up for a little while so…"_

"_You misunderstood me. I meant that I don't think your mom is going to wake up… at all."_

Amu's PoV

What did he just say?

Mrs. Daphne had tears in her eyes and was silently sobbing. "I'm so sorry girls." She said

Then the doctor asked to speak to her so they left the two of us in the room.

I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry.

After I said that to myself over fifty times I finally decided it was working.

Mom might not wake up. The doctor said so.

It felt like I was in a different world. Watching this happen to someone else.

I was brought back to the world by Ami. I looked over at her to see how she was taking this. She just sat next to me with a confused smile on her face. Why was she smiling?

"Ami?" I asked, wondering what was going through the little girls mind.

"Where's mommy?" She asked innocently. Then I broke. The tears started flowing and I couldn't seem to catch my breath fast enough. I hugged her and cried and cried.

"Ami," I said, in barely a whisper "Mommy is sleeping."

"When will she wake up?" I began to cry even louder, which made her cry too.

"Ne, when will Mommy wake up? I want to see Mommy!"

She was crying harder as I just shook my head. "You can't see mommy. Mommy is sleeping."

"Mommy!" She called. "Mommy!"

"Ami, Mommy is going to be sleeping for a while. Let Mommy sleep."

"No! Mommy! Where are you Mommy?"

Then she wriggled out of my grasp and ran into the hallway, me chasing after her, tears streaming down both of our faces.

She kept searching the rooms, screaming for my mom. I kept chasing after her, but I eventually lost my speed and collapsed into a big crying heap in the floor. Mrs. Daphne found me and decided to take Ami and I home.

Before we left, Ami still screaming, Detective Johnson came running up to us.

"Wait! Before you go, I want to give these to you." He said searching through his bag. "Your mom had these in her jacket pockets."

He pulled out three things: a slightly damaged present box, a decorated envelope, and a newly repaired butterfly keychain.

Ami cried even harder at the sight of the keychain. I grabbed the items out of Detective Johnson's hands and threw them into my book bag.

When we arrived home Mrs. Daphne let us go into our rooms then left us alone, saying she had to make a few calls and that she was downstairs if we needed anything.

Ami walked into her room holding her butterfly keychain and shut the door. I did the same, flopping onto my bed. I held the envelope and the box close to my heart and closed my eyes. I thought about this morning, before I went to school.

I had no idea at the time that this was going to happen. If only I had known.

I opened my eyes and looked at the box. Carefully, I undid the wrappings and opened the lid. Inside I found a beautiful silver heart necklace, my initials carved into the back. This was my present, I said to myself. I put it on, next to my dad's.

Then I moved onto the envelope, scared to see what was inside. I pulled out a small, colorful card that had the words 'Happy Birthday' written across the front. I felt more tears push their way into my eyes as I read the note my mom had written.

It read:

_Dear Amu,_

_ I hope you have the best 16__th__ birthday a girl could ever_

_have! I also hope that you like your present! I felt a little jealous_

_with you wearing that necklace from your dad every day. So here _

_is a little part of me for you to carry around with you. I had gotten _

_this necklace from my mother, your grandmother, for my 16__th_

_Birthday. If you look carefully, your initials are inscribed on the back._

_ Amu, I could not have been blessed with a better daughter _

_then you! But that doesn't mean I love you more than your sister,_

_of course! I Love you so much, Amu! I hope you know that._

_ Love,_

_ Mom_

The tears kept flowing down my face as I hugged that card. I would have thought that card was lame before, but now it meant the world to me. I cried for hours after that. I cried until I had no tears left.

Mrs. Daphne brought me meals, but they didn't seem to have any taste to them. I wouldn't leave my room at all, except to go to the bathroom. Not when the other neighbors came to visit, not when Detective Johnson came to announce moms death, not during moms funeral, not ever.

Utau and Rima came over, but I didn't have anything to say to them. Eventually, even Ami came to see me in my room. Everyone seemed to be worried for me, but I didn't care because I didn't care about anything anymore. All I did all day was stare out the window, holding mom's necklace close to my heart.

I re-read the birthday card sometimes. Although it made me sad, I didn't cry. I couldn't cry. The end of school came and went without me being there.

A doctor was brought in to check on me, but even he didn't know what was wrong with me. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I just didn't feel like doing anything anymore.

Then one night, I had a dream. In that dream, I saw my mom and dad together, with Ami at their feet crying. They were comforting her. I wanted to know why she was crying so I went closer. Then their faces changed into the doctor, Detective Johnson, and Mrs. Daphne. They were all crying too. Their faces changed again, into Utau and Rima. Again, they were crying.

Then they melted away until all that was left was a mirror. I saw my reflection in it but something was strange about the way I looked.

"Why aren't you crying?" My reflection asked me

"I don't know." I answered "It feels like I can't cry anymore. Like I cried until I had no tears left."

Reflection Me just nodded her head sadly. "Then what are you doing making those people cry?"

I had no time to answer because then I woke with a start, sweating. "What am I doing?" I asked myself. I had no reason to be sitting in my room all day. I suddenly felt full of overflowing energy. I got dressed and walked downstairs.

A very surprised Mrs. Daphne looked stared at me. If I was her, I would be surprised too. I had just spent the last month and a half in my room doing nothing at all.

But that was the old me. It was as if overnight, I decided to become an entirely different person. One that was strong enough to take care of Ami, the only family I have left.

Mrs. Daphne, ecstatic that I was alive again, started to make an extravagant breakfast that we could share.

Then Ami strolled into the kitchen sleepily. As soon as she saw me her eyes lit up.

Ami's PoV

I walked into the kitchen, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Then I looked up and saw Big Sissy standing there with a smile on her face.

I was so excited to see her out of her room that I tackled her into a long-awaited bear hug. We hadn't hugged in about 2 months and I missed them even more each day.

Mrs. Daphne was making breakfast so Big Sissy and I sat down at the kitchen table. We talked and talked and talked and talked. I love Big Sissy so much.

I was so worried about her when she was going through her depeshun. (Depression) The doctor told me that it was like always being sad, but you can't help but be sad. I never ever wanna be depesed. (Depressed.)

I'm still sad that Mommy won't wake up, but since I have Big Sissy here, I don't feel so sad or alone.

Mrs. Daphne gave us the breakfast she made and then started drinking her coffee. Big Sissy took a bite of her food. "Yummy!" she said so I took a bite from mine and said "Yummy!" too.

"What are you doing today Ami?" Big Sissy asked me

"Nothing." I was going to draw some pictures maybe. Why?"

"Why don't we go to the amusement park?" She was smiling so wide I thought her face was going to get stuck like that. I don't care, because I'm just happy Big Sissy is smiling again.

After breakfast, I ran up to my room and got into amusement park clothes. Then I put on my butterfly keychain necklace. Mrs. Daphne made it for me.

It was so I would never forget that mommy fixed it for me when it broke. "I love you Mommy." I whispered into the air hoping she would be able to hear it in heaven.

**Sakurai: Ahh… that turned out to be such a long chapter! **

**Kazuki: Aren't you glad I started it?**

**Ikuto: Not this again!**

**Amu: Listen, Kazuki. We appreciate that you helped get this chapter started, but that's not how we do things around here.**

**Sakurai: That's right. You're not in the story so you don't know.**

**Kazuki: Know what?**

**Sakurai: You don't know that every person in the story has to be an actor or actress. You have to act out your lines perfectly. And the narrorators have to be able to tell what the actor or actress is thinking.**

**Ikuto: Do you think that sakurai just makes this up as she goes along?**

**Kazuki: Umm… yeah, I kind of do… Am I wrong?**

**Amu: Yes! How did you not see me acting out everything that Sakurai told me to do! How did you not see my genius!**

**Ami: And my Jean-yus!**

**Mrs. Daphne: And Mine!**

**Amu's mom: And mine! Do you know how hard it is to sit still in a coffin? **

**Kazuki: Listen, guys, I'm so sorry. I thought that it was just a story.**

**Sakurai: Just a story. Just a story?**

**Ikuto: Calm down Sakurai!**

**Sakurai: Just a story? JUST a story? JUST A STORY? *attacks Kazuki* YOU THINK THAT ALL MY HARD WORK IS JUST A STORY! WHY DON'T YOU TRY TO MAKE A STORY THEN SEE HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE PEOPLE COME UP TO YOU AND TELL YOU THAT IT'S ****JUST**** A STORY!**

**Kazuki: I'm so so so sorry! I'll never do it again. Here, will a hug make it better?**

**Sakurai: What? No! Get away from me!**

**Amu: Join us next chapter to see what happens at the amusement park! Read and review please!**

**Sakurai: *running from Kazuki* HEEEELLLLPPPPP!**


	7. Outing and a Visitor

**Sakurai: Yo wat'sup?**

**Ikuto: Not much. But, you're talking kind of strange.**

**Kazuki: She can talk however she likes! Can't you, sweetie!**

**Sakurai: Sure, whatever, I guess.**

**Kazuki: …**

**Ikuto: Weird**

**Kazuki: I take it back! I don't like you talking like this at all!**

**Sakurai: So? I don't really care what you like or dislike.**

**Ikuto: That's harsh**

**Amu: *runs up to them* Thank goodness I found you! Sakurai, I have the performer here to UN-hypnotize you!**

**Hypnotist: When I snap my fingers you will return to how you were before!**

**Kazuki: Wait, so she was hypnotized?**

**Amu: Yeah, I took her to a show and then, once she was hypnotized, she ran off before he could undo it.**

**Performer: *snaps fingers* YoU hAvE bEeN rElEaSed! *walks away***

**Sakurai: huh? What happened? Where am I?**

**Kazuki: *hugs Sakurai* Yay! You're back!**

**Sakurai: *hits Kazuki* GET OFF!**

**Ikuto: Same old, same old. It's good to have you back Sakurai**

**Sakurai: *punches Kazuki again* Thanks! It's good to be back! Now let's start this chapter! I SAID GET OFF!**

**Kazuki: *still hugging Sakurai* but I missed you! Wait come back! Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters!**

**Ikuto and Amu: *laughing* Hahaha! That never gets old!**

**Performer: Hahaha! You're right this is hilarious!**

**Everyone: *stares at the performer***

**Performer: What?**

_Recap_

_The tears kept flowing down my face as I hugged that card. I would have thought that card was lame before, but now it meant the world to me. I cried for hours after that. I cried until I had no tears left._

_Mrs. Daphne brought me meals, but they didn't seem to have any taste to them. I wouldn't leave my room at all, except to go to the bathroom. Not when the other neighbors came to visit, not when Detective Johnson came to announce moms death, not during moms funeral, not ever._

_I stayed in my room for about a month and a half. Then I had a dream that made me realize that what I was doing wasn't fair to anyone else._

"_What am I doing?" I asked myself. I had no reason to be sitting in my room all day. I suddenly felt full of overflowing energy._

_I ate breakfast with Ami for the first time in a long time, and then asked her about her plans for the day. I was going to take her to an amusement park._

Amu's PoV

I bought the park tickets then ran over to where Ami was waiting on a bench. I sat and waited with her. I invited two of her friends along, as well as two friends of my own. Utau and Rima.

They had been more than overjoyed that I called them. I guess I had been worrying people more than I originally thought.

After everyone arrived and bought their tickets, we went inside. I took Ami and her friends over to the kiddies section and they played there for a while. One of Ami's friend's moms that came along offered to watch the girls so my friends and I could go off on our own. I agreed happily then went.

We rode all the big coasters and played a few games. Both Utau and Rima were acting like nothing had happened in the past few weeks. Personally, I didn't mind that because it just made everyone happier.

We stopped at a little cafe inside the park. Rima and I ordered our coffee and salads while Utau ordered her hot cocoa and Giant Bowl O' Ramen, the café's ramen special.

The food arrived and we ate. Utau ordered a second Giant Bowl O' Ramen. I wonder where all that food goes. Rima and I were even thinking about getting an x-ray of her just to make sure she doesn't have a second, maybe a third, stomach.

We all laughed and joked and it seemed like nothing at all had happened. Then Rima and Utau excused themselves to the restroom, while I stayed at the table so the café didn't think we were leaving without paying.

I pulled out my cell and started playing one the games I had downloaded. I was so absorbed in the game that I failed to notice a person sit across from me at my table. I only noticed him after he spoke.

"Amu? How are you?" I winced because the voice was familiar, but not familiar in a good way. Sure enough, as I looked up from my cell, I saw enemy #1. Ikuto.

Ikuto's PoV

I walked into the amusement park café and got a seat. I was supposed to meat Saaya here but she cancelled a few minutes ago. I was going to dump her soon anyway; the deal lasted only for a year.

I ordered some chocolate ice cream. Not vanilla, I hate vanilla. I silently ate. Then I looked up from my treat and saw my ex-best friend, Amu, sitting a few tables away.

I instantly felt guilt as I remember what happened a few weeks ago. I had to apologize for what I said about her mom. And on that day of all days. As horrible as it felt, I couldn't go visit her at home. Utau wouldn't allow it.

Ever since she told me the news, Utau made sure I didn't go anywhere near Amu. But, since I didn't see Utau or that little devil, Rima, I decided now was as good a time as any to apologize. I walked over to her table sat across from her.

"Amu? How are you?" I asked, making her jump. I guess she didn't notice me sit down, what with her being so involved in that game and all.

She looked up from her cell phone and gave me the iciest glare I have ever seen. I'm not kidding! Antarctica seemed like a tropical paradise compared this girl's stare!

"What do you want?" She hissed at me through her teeth. I knew it she's angry. Well, of course she would be angry. I would be angry too.

"I… I umm…" I stumbled, suddenly forgetting what I was trying to say. Amu's glare felt like it was cutting deeper and deeper into my heart, making me feel even guiltier.

"I'm waiting." I had to hurry it up. She wasn't going to put up with me for too much longer.

"I'm… I'm… I'm so sorry Amu. About your mom, about what I said, about everything."

She seemed a bit surprised by my words, but not surprised enough to stop glaring at me. Since she said nothing, I decided to continue.

"I never meant to say that. I was just protecting myself from Saaya. That's right! Saaya! I don't even like her Amu! I really don't…"

"Stop lying to me!" She said in as loud a voice as she could, without attracting too much attention.

"I'm not lying, Amu! I'm truly very sorry about what I did to you and to Rima and Utau too. It wasn't my fault!"

"Wasn't your fault! Fine. Then tell me Ikuto," She said with venom in her voice "if it wasn't your fault, whose fault was it?"

"Saaya's! And whoever spiked that punch…"

"Huh? What punch? What are you talking about? Stop trying to avoid the subject! Arg. Do whatever you want; I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Wait! Just let me explain!" She eyed me skeptically but eventually gave in, nodding her head at me to sit down. I sat, ready to finally tell her everything.

I took a deep breath, and just before I could speak I heard someone scream from behind me.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? AND GET THE HELL AWAY FROM AMU!"

Utau; remind me to kill her one day, that is, if she ever speaks to me again. She and Rima grabbed me out of the chair and started dragging towards the door. It was amazing how much strength those two little girls could muster up once they were against me.

"Hold on! I just want to tell Amu something!"

Utau gave me a glare even colder than Amu's was, if that's possible. Then I was pushed out the café's double doors. The waitress followed me out and I paid for the ice cream I never got to finish. I walked to the park exit defeated, but I wasn't going to give up.

No, now that I had gotten this far, I was going to get Amu's forgiveness even if it kills me. That, or Utau or Rima will…

Amu's PoV

Utau and Rima returned to the table after literally THROWING Ikuto out of here.

"What did he say to you?" The both demanded immediately after sitting down.

For some reason, I still hadn't told either of them about what Ikuto had said to me the day my mom got in the accident. And for some other reason, I didn't want to tell them.

"Nothing." I responded "He said nothing. You two stopped him before he started talking."

"Are you okay?" They asked; mistaking my confusion about what Ikuto said with being upset at him for talking to me.

We met up with Ami and her friends again then went our separate ways. I was so spaced out that, on our way home, I had forgotten Ami somewhere about three times.

When we got back to the house, Ami gave me a big bear hug, and then went up to bed. Even though it was still pretty early, I decided to go to bed too.

I hadn't been out of the house in a long while, so today had been exhausting. I got into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and then flopped onto my bed.

I was about to get settled when I heard some noise outside on my balcony. The first thought that went through my mind was "Burglar." I grabbed the lamp that was on my bedside table and slowly inched closer to the closed curtains that revealed where the burglar was standing.

Lamp in hand, I pulled back the curtains a bit, only to reveal, not a burglar, but a tall, blue haired, and betraying ex-best friend.

**Sakurai: *singing* **_**!Cliffhanger!**_

**Kazuki: Nicely done!**

**Amu: I'm so excited for the next chapter!**

**Ikuto: Is that me on the balcony?**

**Sakurai: Not telling! **

**Ikuto: Mean!**

**Sakurai: Please read and review!**


	8. Apologies, Punch, and Cowards

**Sakurai: Hi everyone! I'm back! Sorry it took me so long! **

**Amu: Hi! Wow Sakurai, you seem pretty happy even though the readers are decreasing!**

**Kazuki: I know! I love it! *hugs Sakurai* its more time I get to spend with my lovely wife!**

**Sakurai: Not this again. *hits Kazuki* isn't it getting kind of old? I mean… Wait, what did you just say?**

**Kazuki: I love it when there are more chapters because it's more time I get to spend with my lovely wife!**

**Sakurai: Since when am I your wife?**

**Kazuki: since last night, when you were sleeping. I brought a priest in and he said that stuff. Then you said "I do." Now we are married!**

**Sakurai: Noooo! *looks at hand* When did you put this ring on me!**

**Kazuki: Right before I kissed the lucky bride!**

**Sakurai: *panicking* you better not be talking about me!**

**Kazuki: Who else would I be talking about, honey? Now… *picks up Sakurai* Time for our honeymoon! But before that, my wife does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters!**

**Ikuto: Where are those two going?**

**Amu: On their honeymoon! Isn't that cute?**

**Ikuto: *confused* I guess…**

_Recap_

_I was about to get settled when I heard some noise outside on my balcony. The first thought that went through my mind was "Burglar." I grabbed the lamp that was on my bedside table and slowly inched closer to the closed curtains that revealed where the burglar was standing._

_Lamp in hand, I pulled back the curtains a bit, only to reveal, not a burglar, but a tall, blue haired, and betraying ex-best friend._

Amu's PoV

Ikuto stood in front of me on the balcony picking the leaves out of his hair. Then he looked up at me and smiled.

"Yo. What's up?"

"You did not seriously just ask that! I'll tell you what's up! What's up is a creepy betraying person snuck onto my balcony and is just standing there asking me what's up!"

"Aren't you going to invite me inside? It's freezing out here!"

"There is no way in hell you are coming into my room. You can freeze to death for all I care." I stared at him. Just who does he think he is?

Then he stood up straight and walked past me. INTO MY ROOM! Then he sat on my bed and stretched out. Me, still staring, nearly exploded.

I marched straight up to him and was about to speak when I saw the look on his face.

"Ikuto," I asked because he looked like he was about to cry "What's wrong?"

Then without warning he gave me a huge bear hug. We had hugged before, but this one was different. This one seemed to say 'sorry.'

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

We sat like that for a few more minutes, him repeating sorry over and over again. And I could feel in my heart that he meant it.

"I'll forgive you." I said "After all, you didn't know what happened to mom at the time." I gave him a weak smile, hoping he would calm down.

You see, Ikuto was the calmest, coolest, and most collected person I've ever known. To see him so flustered, sad and confused was kind of scary.

"I'm not talking about what I said about your mom. Although I am sorry about that, this is about Saaya."

I stiffened at the sound of her name. That stupid Saaya. "What about Saaya?" I asked in a voice that sounded something like a growl.

"I don't even like her. I didn't want to date her at all. She made me."

He sounded like a five-year-old blaming someone else for burning something when he was playing with the matches.

"That's ridiculous! She can't just make you date her!"

"But she did! She blackmailed me!"

"And, how exactly, did she blackmail you?"

I was all ears. This was going to be an interesting story.

"About a year ago," he began "My cousin Itoya invited me to a party at his new apartment. I didn't want to go in the first place, but since he helped me out before, I went."

"At the party, I didn't know anyone really. A few faces here and there. Then Saaya showed up."

"Saaya did! At your cousin's house?"

He nodded and continued. "Saaya's neighbor knew him. Anyway, she clung to me for like the whole night. I drank tons of punch. My plan was to make her think I had to go to the bathroom then escape out the window or something. But my plan went wrong. Someone had put alcohol in the punch bowl. A lot of alcohol. And, since I had drunken so much of it, I was getting kind of out of hand."

"You mean drunk?"

"Yes. I was drunk. Saaya noticed and put a bottle in my hand and pulled out her camera phone. She made me say some crazy stuff and even admit to being drunk."

"Can't your cousin get in trouble for that?"

"All the people in the party, except Saaya and I, were all old enough to drink."

"Okay. What does this have to do with anything though?"

"It has everything to do with everything." Ikuto said officially. "Anyway, a few days after the party, she called me, talking about a deal she had to make with me. Of course I listened to her, considering she had that video."

"What deal? Stop avoiding the subject and just tell me already!"

Ikuto took a deep breath before continuing. "In return for not spreading the video, I had to go out with her for one year. But the main problem was she told me I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the deal, not even you, Rima, or Utau. It had to look real."

It seems like all I've been doing lately was stare at him, but at that moment, it was the only thing I could think of doing.

"I had to do everything she told me to do." He continued "Go on dates with her, be mean to you three, and to pretend that we were never friends in the first place. I hated it, but I was too afraid to do anything. I'm so sorry."

So that was the reason. I have never hated Saaya more than this moment. Then I looked at Ikuto and tears started forming in my eyes. So he had never wanted to do that to us! He was still out friend!

"Ikuto." I started, tears falling. "Ikuto! I forgive you! I'm so sorry too! We were so mean! I can't believe I didn't realize what was happening!"

"It's not your fault, Amu. I was too much of a coward to fight back."

"It's okay! It's okay! It's all okay now." I started crying harder.

I saw the look of concern on Ikuto's face and shook my head.

"These are tears of happiness! I'm so happy to have my friend back!"

I was laughing and crying at the same time. Soon, Ikuto was laughing and crying too. We must have looked pretty silly.

Then he got pretty serious. "You absolutely cannot tell anyone about this. It will be a year on Wednesday. Until then, you have to pretend you don't know me. I'm going to break up with Saaya as soon as she deletes that video."

I nodded. Then he gave me another hug and went back out to the balcony.

"Thank you so much for understanding." With that he was off, down the tree and over the fence.

I sat on my bed, my head still buzzing with the news. I thought about calling Utau, and then decided against it. I'll have to avoid her and Rima for a few days. I won't be able to talk to them without telling them everything Ikuto just told me.

I lied down and, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

Ami's PoV

I stood outside of big sissy's room listening to her and someone else laugh-crying. They sounded pretty silly.

Then the person spoke. Suddenly, I remembered who the voice belonged to. It was Ikuto Nee-Chan! I haven't talked to him in a very long time. Even when I saw him on the street, he pretended he didn't know me.

I wanted to go inside, but I didn't want to bother Big Sissy. I heard him leave. Then Big Sissy lied on her bed and stated snoring. I smiled and walked back to my room.

Ikuto's PoV

I walked down the street, feeling the cool, night breeze on my face.

I just told Amu everything, and she forgave me! She actually forgave me! I'm so glad she won't hate me anymore.

Then I thought about how I would deal with Saaya and that video. Oh well, when the time comes I'll think of something. For now, I'm just happy to have Amu back on my side.

"Yahoooo!" I cheered then I ran all the way home.

Utau growled at me as I passed by her in the door way. I thought about telling her, too, but didn't. I want Amu's help convincing her and that evil midget that what I say is true.

**Ikuto: Wow! So that's what happened!**

**Amu: Yay! We're friends again!**

**Sakurai: Yup! I hope the characters weren't too OOC.**

**Kazuki: I think everything you wrote was perfect.**

**Sakurai: Thanks!**

**Ikuto: Wait! How would he even know? He's never even seen Shugo Chara!**

**Kazuki: Why on earth would I want to do that? Sakurai isn't in it, is she?**

**Ikuto: Of course she isn't! I'm sick of you! *tackles Kazuki***

**Kazuki: Me too! *Fights back***

**Sakurai: Amu! Help me stop them! Amu? What are you doing?**

**Amu: *pouts* they're fighting over you. Ikuto is MINE! *Tackles Sakurai***

**Sakurai: What did I do? Waa! * Hands a nearby stranger a note* Amu get off!**

**Nearby Stranger: *reads aloud* Thanks for reading this chapter everyone! Please read and review!**


	9. Friends, Anger, and Creeps

**Sakurai: Hello everybody! I'm back! Sorry I haven't written anything for a little while, I have this HUGE school project that I have to do.**

**Amu: Glad to have you back! But, a school project? Aren't you on Summer Vacation?**

**Sakurai: I am! My evil teachers thought it would be a good idea to give me more stress during my break.**

**Ikuto: Stress? You're only a teenager? How much stress could you possibly have?**

**Sakurai: Well, for starters, my room isn't clean and my parents are bugging me about it! Also I have to finish that project! And school is starting soon, so I have to get ready to see my classmates again! And now I have to deal with Kazuki! *pants* **

**Amu: Wow, that's a lot of stressful things. Speaking of Kazuki, where is he?**

**Kazuki: Over here…**

**Amu: WOAH! Kazuki looks like something the cat dragged in!**

**Sakurai: That cat has some anger issues it needs to work out!**

**Ikuto: Actually I think he looks more like road kill.**

**Kazuki: Will you stop talking about me like I'm not here?**

**Sakurai: Fine. So, why are you so depressed?**

**Kazuki: *sighs* because… well… the truth is… I got a fiancé.**

**Sakurai: That's great! Who is she?**

**Kazuki: *gulps* Well…**

**Saaya: *runs up to Kazuki* Hi everybody! No need to worry, the beautiful and talented Saaya is here!**

**Sakurai: Saaya! What are you doing here? Get out of my disclaimer!**

**Saaya: No Way! *crosses arms* I have a right to see my fiancé!**

**Ikuto, Amu, and Sakurai: Huh? *realizes* AAAAHHHHH!**

**Sakurai: No, no, no, no, no! Kazuki, tell me it's a lie!**

**Kazuki: *Shakes head* She telling the truth…**

**Amu: *cries* I'm so sorry!**

**Saaya: Don't feel sorry for me! This beautiful, rich, talented, amazing girl will be able to fall in love with a commoner!**

**Everyone: WE DON'T FEEL ANY BIT OF SORROW FOR YOU!**

**Saaya: Aww… Good! I hate it when other people pity me!**

**Sakurai: *to herself* Why would ANYONE pity THAT? I pity her parents…**

**Saaya: That stupid Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters! Don't you guys think Kazuki and I make such a cute couple?**

**Everyone: NO!**

Rima's PoV

I was sitting at the table in Amu's kitchen, across from the person who caused my friends so much pain. Ikuto Tsukiyomi. Amu had called Utau and I here early this morning.

_Recap (in Rima's PoV)_

_I walked out of the bathroom, drying my long wet hair. I sat on my bed and flipped my phone open. The screen read:_

_ 3 missed calls_

_ Amu Hinamori_

_I called her back and she asked me to get to her house as soon as I could. Since it was Amu asking, I got ready quickly and left. On the street, I ran into Utau, who was also heading to Amu's house._

_When we got there we saw that devil Ikuto standing by the front gate staring at her house. Utau immediately ran up to him and kicked him in the stomach. He fell to the ground clutching his tummy. _**(A/N Ikuto: Tummy? Really? How childish can you get? Sakurai: I thought tummy was a cute word so I used it! You have no right to insult it! Ikuto: Now you're just acting like a five-year-old! Sakurai: ME! A FIVE- YEAR OLD? Ikuto! I'm going to- Amu: GUYS! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORY HERE! Sakurai: Oh, Right! Sorry!)**

_Ikuto, back on his feet but still clutching his TUMMY, _**(A/N. Sakurai: Hahaha! Take THAT Ikuto!)**_ glared at Utau._

"_What is your problem?"_

"_What is MY problem? What is MY problem? You're my problem, Ikuto! What do you think you're doing here?"_

"_I'm supposed to be here! Amu invited me!"_

"_That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard of! Why would Amu do something as stupid as that?"_

_As I the two of them continued to argue, I saw Amu come out of the house. Because their minds were in a completely different place, neither Ikuto nor Utau saw here coming._

"_Umm… Utau, its fine." Amu said, but Utau didn't hear her over her argument._

"_Get out of here you stupid, ugly, backstabbing, jerk!"_

"_Hey! Utau! It's fine!" Amu raised her voice a little, but Utau still didn't hear her._

"_And if I EVER catch you anywhere near here again, I swear to god I'll-"_

"_UTAU! JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME ALREADY!"_

_Utau immediately stopped verbally attacking Ikuto and turned towards Amu._

"_Utau, Rima, I brought you both here so you could listen to Ikuto's story and possibly forgive him. Please, all of you come inside."_

_We all followed Amu into the kitchen and Utau and I stood as far away from Ikuto as possible. Amu stood by Ikuto and surprisingly, didn't look like she wanted to kill him._

_I leaned closer to Utau and whispered, "What's going on here? Did Amu really forgive him for all those horrible things he's been doing to us?"_

_She looked at me and I saw the same confusion in her eyes that I had. Amu suddenly got very serious. "Sit!" She commanded, so we sat._

_End of Recap_

Rima's PoV

Everyone stared at each other until I finally got so annoyed and said, "So what's this story you want us to listen to, Amu?"

She nodded her head at Ikuto and began. "Ikuto is as bad a person as you think he is. It wasn't his fault at all"

"You're crazy, Amu! How could it not be his fault?"

"Please don't interrupt me!" Amu glared at Utau with anger. I have to admit, Utau's rage against Ikuto was kind of annoying because she wasn't listening to anyone.

"I'm going to have to ask you to keep quiet while Ikuto tells his story."

Utau and I nodded, so Amu stated again. "It wasn't Ikuto's fault that he did those things. He was blackmailed to do it. By Saaya." Amu motion to Ikuto and he began his story.

I could feel my hate towards Saaya growing as he told me about the video and about the deal. I clenched my fists as he got to the part in the story where Saaya made him say he had no need for us anymore.

I always knew somewhere in my mind that Ikuto never wanted to hurt us, and now I know that I was right.

Ikuto told us that the end of his deal with Saaya was coming soon, so he asked for us to help him think of a plan to make sure Saaya deleted all of those videos. Amu agreed enthusiastically and I nodded my head in agreement also.

We all looked over at Utau, who was looking down at the table. She began to shake so I thought she was crying. When she looked up I saw that she wasn't shaking because she was crying, but she was shaking with anger towards Ikuto.

"Why should we help you? Why should we forgive you? Did you really think that, after all the things you put us through, you could just say sorry and make it all better? Well you can't."

Amu tried to calm her, but Utau just ignored her.

"Why should we help you, just because you were a coward? A baby! And selfish! You only thought of yourself and of your reputation. Because of you, Saaya bullies us even more. And because of that, everyone else is too afraid of her to even talk to us!"

Tears started forming in Amu's eyes, but not Utau's. Her eyes only had an evil hate in them.

"No, I'm not going to help you. Not now, not ever." She said then looked over at Amu and I. "You two can help him if you want, but just so you know it's a horrible mistake."

Then she got up, grabbed her bag, and slammed the front door behind her.

The room was quiet except for the ticking of the kitchen clock. After a while Amu suggested Ikuto and I go home, and we would think of a plan tomorrow. Amu got up and followed us to the door way. We said our goodbyes. Ikuto held the gate open for me and as I passed him, I, as quietly as possible, said "It's good to have you back." He didn't say anything, but only smiled.

"Good bye!" Amu called to us, and then we went our different ways.

_Meanwhile…_

Saaya's PoV

I was walking down some random street, thinking about my boyfriend, Ikuto. Now, I know what you're thinking, that I am way too good for him, but he has captured my heart.

That's why, about a year ago, at this party, I thought of a plan. A plan that would make him fall for me. I took a silly video of him saying he was drunk and told him that he had to date me for a year or else I would show that video to everyone.

He agreed, but then I remembered that ugly Amu girl that was always hanging around him. So I told him that he wasn't allowed to talk to her anymore. Now, about a year later, I just know he has fallen head over heels for me. After all, who could resist such a beautiful and kind girl like me?

To prove that our love is real, I'm going to delete that silly video to show him that I know he loves me and he's not just with me because of that. Maybe we could go on a romantic dinner date to this fancy restaurant my dad co-owns.

I'll pay for my own meal, of course. I'm not one of those rude, selfish, and snobby girls. And it's not like I don't have the money. My family is rich! Hahaha! That's just one more reason why Ikuto LOVES me. **(A/N Ikuto: She's crazy! Crazy I tell you! Sakurai: Now Ikuto, Saaya seems like a lovely girl. Amu: HOW MANY TIME ARE YOU TWO GOING TO INTERRUPT THE STORY TODAY?)**

I turned onto another random street and started thinking about Ikuto and I's life together. That's when I saw Ikuto coming out of some a house with that mean, tiny, blond girl he used to be friends with. Weird, I told him to stay away from her.

I ducked behind a tree and watched him closely. The tiny girl said something to my Ikuto that made him smile. He started walking away from the house and I heard a sickeningly familiar voice call out, "Good bye!"

Then the owner of the voice came closer into my view. I gritted my teeth as I saw who it was. Amu Hinamori. Ikuto is cheating on me! I can't believe it!

"There's no way I'm getting rid of that video now!" I said to myself "Ikuto. Prepare for your life to become a living hell! I'll make so many copies of that video that your head will spin!"

Then I sent the video from my phone to my computer at home. There was some rustling coming from the bushes next to me, but I ignored it. I laughed to myself as walked away.

_Meanwhile (Again) …_

Utau's PoV

I was walking back to Amu's house because I wanted to apologize for the way I yelled at her before. That didn't mean I was apologizing to Ikuto! He has to learn that life isn't a place where a simply apology fixes everything.

He could have at least told me, his sister, about it. Saaya can't blame him for talking to me. We live together for god's sake! I'm going to make him pay for what he's done.

As I got closer to Amu's house, I saw Saaya hiding behind a tree, watching something intensely. I followed her eyes to discover what she was looking at. It was Ikuto. God, that girl is such a creep. Then I realized he was coming out of Amu's house.

Oh no! She saw them together! I saw her hate towards Amu coming from her overly mascara covered eyes. Then to herself she said, "There's no way I'm getting rid of that video now! Ikuto, prepare for your life to become a living hell. I'll make so many copies of that video your head will spin!"

She turned around to face my direction, but thankfully, she was playing with her cell phone and didn't notice me. I quickly jumped into a nearby bush. I stayed as quiet as a mouse as I waited for her to pass by my hiding spot.

Once she was farther away from me, I released the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I decided to follow her. If she was going to make copies of that video she had to do it on a computer somewhere. I heard her laughing to herself as she led me to her house. Creepy.

**Sakurai: All done! **

**Utau: Wow I do a lot in this chapter!**

**Rima: Me too!**

**Sakurai: I was trying to make sure people didn't forget that you two are Amu's best friends.**

**Amu: If they're such good friends of mine, then why is this the first time they are in an author's note?**

**Utau: Yeah! Why didn't you put us in here before?**

**Sakurai: *backs away* Umm… I… well…**

**Rima: Tell us!**

**Sakurai: *runs away* **

**Amu: With fire in her eyes* GET HER!**

**Rima: Please read and review! **

**Utau: *running* Rima! Stop wasting time and help us!**

**Rima: Oops, sorry! *runs up to Utau and Amu, who are holding Sakurai still* I'LL GET HER LEGS!**

***people gather around the four girls***

**Random guy #1: What's going on?**

**Random guy #2: I don't know. Some chick fight.**

**Utau: ANSWER THE QUESTION!**


	10. Utau and Forgiveness?

**Sakurai: Hey there. It's been so so so long since I last wrote for this story. I was even thinking about deleting it because I was bored with it…**

**Amu: No! You were going to delete me! And this story! But Ikuto and I haven't gotten together yet! And we didn't see what's going on with Saaya! And Utau didn't apologize to Ikuto yet! And you didn't give me time to say my goodbyes! And-**

**Sakurai: Amu! I said I was thinking about deleting it. **_**Thinking**_**. I didn't delete it!**

**Amu: Oh… haha sorry about that!**

**Kazuki: Isn't the reason why you stopped liking this story because people stopped reading?**

**Sakurai: kind of. I usually only got 1 reader every few days. It made me sad so I started a new story.**

**Ikuto: A new story? Am I in it?**

**Sakurai: Sorry but no. It's not a Shugo Chara fanfic. It's for Hunter x Hunter, the best anime ever.**

**Amu: Shugo Chara is the best! The best!**

**Sakurai: I love Shugo Chara! So much! But I also love Hunter x Hunter. Killua! (For those of you who don't know what anime I am talking about, I suggest you check it out. It's shounen, kind of, but it's got more Shoujo in it then some of the other shows I have seen.)**

**Kazuki: What is the name of the story?**

**Sakurai: The name is: The Bodyguards. Please read it! I don't get too many readers for that story either.**

**Amu: I'll bet you never thought about deleting THAT story…**

**Sakurai: Amu! Forget it! I'm writing for you now aren't I?**

**Amu: Yeah…**

**Kazuki: Sakurai does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters! Start the story already! These authors' notes are always too long!**

**Sakurai: Oh, okay! Here I go…**

_~Recap~_

_Utau's PoV_

_As I got closer to Amu's house, I saw Saaya hiding behind a tree, watching something intensely. I followed her eyes to discover what she was looking at. It was Ikuto. God, that girl is such a creep. Then I realized he was coming out of Amu's house._

_Oh no! She saw them together! I saw her hate towards Amu coming from her overly mascara covered eyes. Then to herself she said, "There's no way I'm getting rid of that video now! Ikuto, prepare for your life to become a living hell. I'll make so many copies of that video your head will spin!"_

_She turned around to face my direction, but thankfully, she was playing with her cell phone and didn't notice me. I quickly jumped into a nearby bush. I stayed as quiet as a mouse as I waited for her to pass by my hiding spot._

_Once she was farther away from me, I released the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I decided to follow her. If she was going to make copies of that video she had to do it on a computer somewhere. I heard her laughing to herself as she led me to her house. Creepy._

_~ End of Recap~_

Utau's PoV

I was waiting for Saaya to get off of leave her room, while I was hiding outside her window. Okay, I know what you're thinking. I must be a really creepy person to be hiding outside Saaya's house in the bushes, but I'm not as creepy as Saaya! Her desktop background is Ikuto!

I'm glad her computer screen faces the window because it gave me the opportunity to copy down all her passwords and to be able to find where she saved the videos. Finally, she got up and left the room and went somewhere else. Thank god her room is on the first floor; her house was the size of our school! It had like five floors! Also, aren't mansions supposed to have good security? Oh well, I don't have time for this…

I opened up the window and carefully eased myself inside. I crept across the room and sat at the desk. The computer screen lit up and said Please Enter Password.

I looked at my hand where I wrote the numbers. The password was correct then I quickly navigated my way through her computer. She had saved it three times burned it onto a disc. The disc sat next to me on the desk. I quickly slipped that into my pocket and went back to the computer.

I deleted it from her files and the emptied her recycling bin. Just to be sure. I heard footsteps coming down the hallway so I grabbed my bag and ran. I nearly tripped going out the window, but I kept running.

I ran all the way home, up to my room, and slammed my door. Breathing hard I got the disc out of my bag and put it in my DVD player. It was fuzzy at first but then the picture focused.

I saw Ikuto sitting on a couch next to some older kids. They were laughing at him like he was the funniest thing they'd seen all year. I looked closer and saw that he had a faraway look in his eyes.

Then I heard Saaya's ugly voice in the background.

"Hey there! What's your name?" She asked in a sickeningly playful voice.

"My name… is… I… Ikut… Ikuto… *hiccup* … Tsuuuki… Yomi. My name is Ikutooo Tsukiyooommiii!"

The kids around him laughed and then gave him a cup of punch. He chugged the whole cup in five seconds then hiccupped again.

"What are you doing, Ikuto?" Saaya asked

"Whaaat? Can't you… *hiccup*… can't you teeelllll? I'm at a paartttyyyy! Woohooo!"

At this point he stood up, took off his shirt and started waving it around. He was encouraged by hoots and hollers and whistling from the kids.

"Are you drunk Ikuto?" I'm going to kill Saaya if it's the last thing I do.

"You betcha!" I turned off the video. This was all I needed to see. Now I understand why Ikuto did what he did.

If a video like this was about me, I would do anything to keep it from others. Remind me to apologize to him. To make sure no one else saw it, I decided to destroy the video.

First, I took a sewing needle and scratched it. Then with a satisfying "snap" the DVD was gone.

Saaya's PoV

I copied the video of Ikuto and now I am on my way to meet him. I spotted him in our usual spot at my favorite café. I walked over to him and sat down across the table from him. Then the little blond brat Rima and that airhead Amu sat down next to MY Ikuto.

"It seems that we have a problem here, Ikuto. I thought you weren't friends with these _losers_ anymore."

He glared at me. "It seems we do have a problem." He said angrily. "One, these people aren't losers, only you are. Two, I never stopped being friend with them. And three, we need you to delete that video. _Now._"

That backstabbing Ikuto! **(A/N: Ikuto-how many people in this story are going to call me backstabbing? Sakurai-As many as I feel like! HAHAHA!)**

I took out my phone with the video on it and waved it front of the three of them. Rima tried to grab it, but she missed because her arms were too short. She glared at me, just like Ikuto was. Soon Amu joined in the glaring party.

"You want this?" I asked playfully while waving the phone in front of them again. Their eyes followed it back and forth. I put it away because I saw that Rima was going to try and grab it again. "It's not going to happen. I'm going to share this video with everyone I know! Ikuto, you broke your part of the deal, so I'm breaking mine. You will be sorry you ever messed with me!"

"You are a disgusting pig!" Amu spat in my face. Just then the waiter came and took our orders. Once he left, I leaned over and whispered to her. "You have no right insult me you crazed orphan!"

Ikuto stood up quickly, but Amu and Rima pulled him back down even quicker. "Amu is not an orphan." Ikuto said calmly.

I tilted my head to the side. "Oh really?" I said. "If her mom is dead and her dad left them for some other lady, leaving Amu with no parents, what does that make her?"

"MY DAD DID NOT LEAVE US FOR ANOTHER WOMAN! HE WAS FAITHFUL TO MY MOM!" Amu's reaction was just what I had hoped for. It signalized that I had basically already won this battle.

The waiter brought our food and we began eating.

"I'd be willing to tell everyone about Amu's dad too. That he met a girl at a bar one day, they hit it off, then he ran away with her and started a new family."

"None of that stuff happened and you know it!"

"I know that, but our classmates don't know that. It's pretty easy to convince them that something is the truth." The three of them looked at me with disgust. "I can keep this a secret if you want."

Amu narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?" She's smarter than I give her credit for.

"Nothing big. Ikuto just has to go out with me again." I smiled as their jaws dropped. The fork fell from Rima's hand and landed on the floor so she bent down to get it.

"You have GOT to kidding me!" Amu exclaimed. Ikuto and Rima had to hold her back because she looked like she wanted to kill me. I laughed because I know it makes Ikuto angry.

Sure enough, his evil glare had more evil in it. "I'm not joking here. If you don't want me to spread that video or tell people about Amu's dad then that's what you have to do."

"This is crazy, I'm outta here." Rima said and then she glanced at the other two. Soon, all three got up and started walking away.

"Fine! Leave!" I screamed at them. "Just know that I'm going to post this video all over youtube!" **(A/N: Do not own youtube!) **I looked down at my phone only to discover that it wasn't there. I looked at those three and saw a smile on Rima's face. She held up her hand and I saw what she was holding. It was my phone!

The next second they were out the door and running down the block. I jumped up after them, but was stopped by the café manager asking for me to pay. I threw a couple twenties at him and ran out the door.

Amu's PoV

We rounded the corner and ran a few more blocks. Saaya was about a block behind us and was catching up quickly. Rima, with her tiny legs started to fall behind.

She tossed Ikuto the phone and stopped running, out of breath. Ikuto and I kept running because Saaya was still hot on our trail.

"Give me back my phone!" She screamed. We made our way into a park and stopped because of a wall of trees. Ikuto quickly went through her fone. He found the video and clicked delete. Then he started shaking the fone.

"Whats wrong? Did you delete it?"

"It says processing request!"

"Make it process faster! Saaya's coming!

"20% left to process!"

Saaya came running up and went straight for the phone. Ikuto, bless his height, was able to hold it over her head. She jumped for it.

"Catch!" Then Ikuto tossed the phone to me. I got a glance at it before I had to toss it back to him because Saaya came running in my direction. It had 9% left to process.

"It's almost done!" I called to him as he spun around and around, keeping the phone just out of her reach.

"Over here!" Rima said as she came running up with Utau. When did she find Utau? Rima caught the phone and read it. "2% left!"

She threw the phone back to me. I caught it just before it hit the ground. I stepped to the side and Saaya ran past me. I looked at the phone screen. Video deleted.

"It's gone!" I cheered as I jumped for joy. Saaya turned to me and grabbed her phone angrily out of my hands.

"Don't get too happy." Saaya sneered. "I made copies of it you know! This isn't over!"

"Actually it is over." Said Utau stepping forward with her arms crossed. "I deleted the videos you copied."

Saaya whirled around to face Utau. "You're lying! You're a liar!"

"Am I really?" Utau said jokingly as she pulled some shiny things from her bag. Saaya's eyes widened as she recognized the pieces as a DVD. The name Drunk Ikuto Video was written clearly on a few different pieces.

"So! I don't care!" She obviously cared. Then I had an idea. I quietly pulled out MY phone and began recording a video.

"Saaya, why do you do things like this?"

"Because I want to! I can do whatever I want! I'm Saaya! I'm beautiful! I'm rich! I'm smart! There is no one who shouldn't like me!" Saaya's voice got louder and louder with every word.

"I don't like you." Rima said quietly, and then Saaya exploded.

"I don't care what you people think! You are nothing! Nothing but worthless pieces of trash!"

A crowed started to gather and I kept the video rolling.

"Can you really be saying that Saaya? Aren't you and your friends always acting like trash yourselves?"

"FRIENDS? THOSE PEOPLE AREN'T MY FRIENDS! I HAVE ME AND MY TALENT AND MY MONEY AND MY BEAUTY! I DON'T NEED THOSE STUPID WANNABE GIRLS! THEY'RE JUST AS STUPID AND WORTHLESS AS YOU PEOPLE!"

By now Saaya was taking on the appearance of a truly insane person. Her eyes were wide, she was panting, her hair was messy and falling all over her face, and her hands were balled into fists and were being swung at the air as she spoke.

Many people we whispering and pointing at her and a few mothers started walking away, pulling their children close. I stopped the video and started walking away with them.

Soon Ikuto, Rima, and Utau followed me, leaving Saaya by herself. We walked in silence to my house and fell onto the couches. With a few glances at each other, we broke out into laughter.

"Did you see her face?"

"I was too busy looking at the crowd. Some of them were talking about which asylum she had escaped from!"

"Amu! Nice job with the video camera! Now we have stuff on her so she can't start rumors even if she tried!"

I slapped high fives with them and continued laughing.

"And Utau! When did you delete the videos?"

She stopped laughing and looked down. "Before I answer that," She said, "I need to say something." She turned to Ikuto with sadness in her eyes. "I'm so sorry for not understanding. If something like that had been filmed about me, I would do everything in my power to keep it a secret. Will you ever forgive me for yelling at you?"

Ikuto nodded and gave Utau a hug. I'm happy to see the two siblings reconciling. Then Ikuto's face turned red. "Does what you said mean that you saw the video?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yup!"

"Utau!"

Rima and I begged her to do a re-enactment for us, but alas, Ikuto's desires not to do it, beat ours. Everything is looking up. I'm actually looking forward to the new school year. The school year that starts in two weeks.

**Sakurai: I'm done! I'm finally done!**

**Utau: Yes! I finally made up with Ikuto!**

**Amu: I was a little jealous when he gave you a hug…**

**Ikuto: Does my little strawberry want a hug?**

**Amu: *blushes* That's not what I said! I meant that… umm… oh what the heck, Yes! I want a hug!**

**Ikuto: Yay!**

***The two hug and continue hugging for the rest of this author's note***

**Sakurai: So… what do we do now?**

**Utau: I'm not sure…**

**Rima: Am I allowed to say something?**

**Kazuki: Sure! A friend of Sakurai can say whatever she wants whenever she wants to!**

**Sakurai: Since when were you in this conversation Kazuki? And what do you want to say Rima?**

**Rima: Can Utau and I get boyfriends too? I mean, Amu is the only one in the story…**

**Sakurai: Hmm… that a good idea. How about you readers tell me what you think?**

**Kazuki: Please aid Sakurai in becoming a better writer!**

**Sakurai: Please Review too! Thank you!b**


	11. Study Frenzy!

**Sakurai: Okay! I'm back! I'm sorry I haven't written in so long!**

**Kazuki: *crying* I missed you! I thought you left me for some other man!**

**Amu: Sakurai would never do that… At least not without telling me first… RIGHT!**

**Sakurai: Uh… right. But anyway, the reason I haven't written for awhile is because I started three new stories and I wanted to write some more chapters for them before I went back to this one.**

**Amu: Does that mean you stopped caring about us? *Getting teary* I thought we were besties! BFFS!**

**Sakurai: No! That's not it! I just wanted to focus all of my attention to my other stories so the quality of this one wouldn't decrease.**

**Kazuki: *getting teary also* that means you didn't have any attention for us!**

**Amu: *To Kazuki* She doesn't care about us!**

**Kazuki! I know!**

**Sakurai: Wait! I didn't say that!**

**Amu: *crying* Why doesn't she like us?**

**Sakurai: but…**

**Kazuki: I don't know!**

***The two start sobbing and crying together.***

**Ikuto: Sorry I'm late- … What are those two doing?**

**Sakurai: They thought that I didn't like them anymore because I was focusing on my other stories instead of this one. Wait! You don't think that do you?**

**Ikuto: *Turning his back to her* No. I way too mature for that. Unlike those two little kids… *sniffle***

**Sakurai: … … … I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters. *Sigh* let's get started with the story…**

**Amu and Kazuki: WAAAA!**

Amu's PoV

I walked onto the school ground, my arms linked with Rima and Utau's. There was an eager smile on my face that grew wider with every step I took. I was starting school again and I was excited.

Then I stopped and my face fell as I realized something.

"What's wrong?" Utau asked, worry evident on her face.

"I don't know what homeroom I'm in!" I exclaimed

"That's okay!" Rima assured me, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the main building. We walked into the main office and the assistant principal sitting at the desk looked up and smiled at me.

"Good to see you back Amu. How are you doing?"

"I'm good."

"That's good. What can I do for you girls?" She asked, pushing her purple glasses up on her nose.

"I don't know what homeroom I'm in."

"Well, I'll just look it up and tell you. Nice and easy." She said sliding towards the computer. She started clicking a few keys. Her happy face turned into a confused frown as she continued typing.

My heart was beating nervously as I held onto Utau and Rima's hands tightly.

"Your homeroom is room 605. Your teacher is Mrs. Damazaki."

My eyes opened wide with surprise.

"But that's a sophomore homeroom! I'm a junior!"

"I'm sorry Amu, but you're not a junior yet. You never finished school last year so you never took your final exams. You're still a sophomore, unfortunately."

"That's not fair!" Utau exclaimed. "If she can't be in a junior class then I'm not going to either!"

"Same here!" Rima chimed in. "Put me in the sophomore class with Amu!"

Tears started forming in my eyes as my friends stuck by my side.

"Girls, Girls. Calm Down!" She said in a frantic voice. "I'll talk to the principal and see what we can do about this problem. Amu, if you wouldn't mind, please sit down and wait for a second."

I sat in one of the cushioned chairs near the door of the office and Utau and Rima sat down on both sides of me with their arms folded.

The assistant principal sweat-dropped and she was clearly getting annoyed.

"Can you two go to your homerooms please?" She asked nervously, probably intimidated by Rima's death stares.

"NO!" They responded in unison. I have such good friends.

"Guys," I pleaded. "Please go to class. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"But Amu-"

"It's fine. Don't be late because of me."

"Fine." Sighed Rima. Then the two of them stood up and left the office. Before they went out the door, Utau mouthed the words, 'Good Luck' at me. The assistant principal stood up, excused herself, and them left also.

I smiled and waved them away. Once they were out of sight, my happy face sunk and I slouched into the chair. I was all alone and my mind started racing.

What will I do if I have to repeat a grade? I won't graduate with my friends; I'll be graduating with total strangers! It took me forever to become friends with all these people! I don't want to have to do that all over again! And I want to graduate with Utau, Ikuto, and Riku too!

The more worried I became, the harder it was to keep the tears from falling down my face.

Right before I completely lost my composure, the assistant principal came back into the office.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you yet. You can either go to the sophomore homeroom or go and relax in the library while I talk to the principal."

"I'll go to the library." I said, sighing. I got up from the chair, dusted off my skirt, and then left for the library.

I sat down on one of the library's couches and pulled a random book out of the nearest bookcase.

I started reading the story. It was about a princess who ran away from her kingdom to get out of an arranged marriage. Then she lived the life of a commoner, making clothing to earn a living.

I was just getting to the part where she falls in love, when the assistant principal came into the library. (Her name is Mrs. Ayoi by the way. And my principal's name is Mr. Hiroto.)

"Sorry you had to wait so long Amu."

'It wasn't that long.' I said to myself. I looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised to learn that two and a half hours had passed since I had started reading.

"We have a solution for you." She said with a wide smile on her face.

I followed her back to the main office and then into Mr. Hiroto's office. When I walked in, he was sitting with his hands folded on top of his desk.

"Good afternoon miss Hinamori." He said in a friendly way with a grin on his face. "Please have a seat."

He gestured his hand towards a large red armchair so I sat in it.

"From what I know, you missed two months of school last year and weren't able to take your final exams."

"Yes…"

"And you would like to be in your junior year instead of your sophomore year?"

"Yes…"

"I see no problem with that!"

"Really?"

"Sure! All you have to do is get a passing grade on all of your exams!"

His face remained cheery, but my heart felt like it had stopped beating.

"A-all of them?" I choked out. He nodded his head.

"All of the subjects?"

"Of course!"

"O-okay. Thank you for letting me do that." I said, my hands shaking. "And when can I take them?"

"If you want to be a junior, you have to complete them all by the end of this week."

My mouth dropped open, but I immediately closed it and nodded my head with a fake smile.

"You may have off of school for this week while you study. Use your time wisely Amu. I'll have Mrs. Ayoi call you with the days and times of the tests as soon as we work that out."

I stood, thanked him, and then left. I walked to the town bus stop in a daze. Once I got there, I started to panic.

"Five exams in one week when I don't even know what they learned last year!" I screamed, surprising the man sitting on a nearby bench.

I put my hands over my eyes and sat down on the bench next to the man, overwhelmed with frustration and panic.

"Are you alright?" The man asked nervously.

"Yeah, sorry." I mumbled keeping my hands over my eyes. "Just school stress."

"Oh. If your stressed, drinking tea or taking a long bike ride helps."

"Thanks." I said. "I will."

When I was home, I immediately grabbed all of my text books from last year and began reading them. I started with history because it was mostly memorization and I didn't need anyone to teach me anything for it.

I was speed-reading through most of the first half of the book because I had already learned it. When I got to something I didn't know, I slowed down and read with intense concentration.

I'm not the best student, so studying doesn't come very easy to me. Actually it's so difficult that, one year, I almost had to go to summer school… I'M DOOMED!

While I was deeply engrossed by my text book, Utau, Rima, and Ikuto came bursting through the door.

"Amu!" Utau exclaimed, rushing over to me and throwing her school bag to the ground. "What happened? Tell me!"

"Calm down Utau." I said. "I can be a junior…"

"Hurra-"

"If I can pass all of the final exams you all took last year by the end of this week."

Their cheering stopped dead and they all stood there with their mouths hanging wide open.

"That's crazy." Utau said angrily. "And not fair! It wasn't Amu's fault that she wasn't there!"

"I think that it's fair." Rima said.

"Same here." Ikuto agreed. "We all had to take the exams to start junior year, so Amu should have to also."

"Who's side are you on!"

"Amu's." Ikuto stated plainly. "And we're all going to help her study. Right?"

"Right." Utau and Rima agreed.

"Really?"

They all nodded their heads. "Let the studying begin!" Rima announced.

_Amu and her friends studied like they had never done before. Test One: History. Amu stayed up late the night before reading the text book for the eighth time. She came out of the test with confidence._

_Test Two: Japanese. __**(A/N: They're in Japan, in case you were wondering.)**__ Being Amu's only strong subject, she wasn't worried about that test at all._

_Test Three: English. __**(A/N: A foreign language to them.) **__Utau and Rima had slept over at Amu's all week and, until the test came, they only spoke to Amu in English. It helped Amu a lot._

_Test Four: Math. The hardest subject on Earth, according to Amu. Ikuto, who does exceedingly well in math, made hundreds of practice tests and quizzed Amu endlessly._

_Test Five: Science. The last test. Amu, overly fatigued from pulling all-nighters with Utau and Rima, was very nervous as she walked into the testing classroom._

_During every single test, Utau, Rima, And Ikuto skipped their classes to sit outside of Amu's classroom and send her good luck vibes._

I stood in Mr. Hiroto's office, one hand holding Rima's hand, one hand holding Utau's hand, and Ikuto standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders. If I hadn't been so nervous about the test results, I would have been embarrassed by that.

"Ahem." Mr. Hiroto said, clearing his throat. "I have the results of all of your tests Amu. Do you mind if I say them aloud in front of your friends?"

"JUST TELL US THE SCORES!" An overly anxious Utau yelled. Mr. Hiroto raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

"Amu… You got an 89 in History, a 93 in Japanese, and 84 in English, a 76 in Math, and an 87 in Science.

"So that means…" I started, my heart pounding so loud I was afraid everyone else might be able to hear it.

"You pass. Enjoy your junior year Amu, you've earned it."

The office erupted in cheers as we all hugged each other in one big huddle. Tears of relief streaked down my face.

"You'll be in Rima and Ikuto's homeroom." Mr. Hiroto said, interrupting our hugging. "Have a nice weekend."

We all thanked him over and over again and then left.

Monday morning, I was standing in front of my new homeroom. Mrs. Damazaki announced my name and why I was a week late for the start of school. (Without saying too much.)

Then I took my seat at the desk in between Rima and Ikuto's desks. I smiled at them and they smiled back. This was going to be a fun year.

**Sakurai: It's finished! Banzai!**

**Kazuki: Congratulations Honey!**

**Sakurai: *glaring* don't call me that.**

**Rima: I thought Utau and I were supposed to get boyfriends in this chapter.**

**Utau: Yeah! You promised! *pouting***

**Ikuto: Now, now you two. Amu's school life is more important that your love lives.**

**Amu: *blushes* Aww thanks… **

**Utau: Sakurai! You better get us boyfriends in the next chapter then!**

**Rima: Yeah! If I have to look at that happy couple any longer, I might puke.**

**Kazuki: Don't forget that Sakurai and I are a couple too! *Hugs Sakurai***

**Sakurai: We are not! Get off! *punches him, but he hugs her again***

**Kazuki: Please review this chapter!**

**Sakurai: I SAID GET OFF!**

**Kazuki: *keeps hugging***

**Utau: *teary* I want that!**

**Rima: *teary* me too!**

**Utau and Rima: Give us boyfriends!**

**Kazuki: Give me a hug!**

**All three: ~ ~ You better do what we ask Sakurai ~ ~ !**


	12. Date, Stalkers, and Misunderstandings

**Sakurai: Hey all you people!**

**Kazuki: Hey! Long time no read!**

**Amu: *Runs up and gives Sakurai a hug* Sakurai!**

**Ikuto: Hey, What's up?**

**Sakurai: Not much. I just learned that Snooki is going to have a baby.**

**Kazuki: Who's Snooki?**

**Sakurai: Oh, she's this trashy girl on a TV show called Jersey Shore.**

**Kazuki: I have a feeling that you don't like her.**

**Sakurai: NOOO! Hate is a better word to use.**

**Ikuto: So you just learned about her baby now?**

**Sakurai: Yeah! I heard she's due on December 21, 2012.**

**Ikuto: So the Mayan's were right about Armageddon…**

**Sakurai: Okay! Joking aside (P.S. disclaimer on Snooki, just in case) let's get to this story!**

**Amu: Hurray!**

**Kazuki: Woohoo!**

**Sakurai: Oh yeah! I don't own Shugo Chara or any other characters. Time for the story!**

Amu's PoV

"OWWW! HOTTTT!" I screamed as I touched the just-out-of-the-oven cookie pan in my Home EC classroom. "Spaz." Rima said as she took the pan I threw on the counter and moved it away with an oven mitt.

"Come over here." Utau called. "Put your hand under some running water." I walked over to her and she turned on the sink. Cool water was coming out the faucet and I eagerly stuck my hand under it. I sighed in relief as the running liquid soothed the throbbing burn. "Wanna go to the nurse?" Utau offered, handing me an ice cube from the freezer. "Sure."

We got to the office only to find that she wasn't there. "Must be helping with some medical emergency somewhere else in the school." Utau commented, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She made me sit on the bed while she put some aloe based medicine on my hand and began massaging it in gently. "So how's life Amu?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Not really," I shrugged.

"How's Ikuto? Are you two dating yet?" She stood up and started rummaging through the cabinets. I felt the heat quickly rise to my face in embarrassment.

"W-what are y-you tal-talking about?" We aren't d-dating!" I stuttered at her. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on! I see the way you two look at each other. It's LOOOOVVEEE!" Utau fell it a fit of giggles while I sat on the bed glaring at her angrily.

"We. Are. Not. Dating!" I yelled.

"Fine, fine." She said. "Okay. I found two bandages; you can either have the yucky brown one or the pink one."

"Ugh, definitely not the pink one. I hate pink." She shrugged and placed the pink bandage back in the cabinet. She walked over to me and started wrapping the brown bandage around by burnt hand.

"If you hate pink so much, then why is your room still pink?"

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"Why don't we repaint it?"

"I'm not so sure about that."

Then the bell signaling the end of the day rang. "Yay!" Utau said stretching. "Time to go hoommmee!"

We grabbed our bags and met Rima by the lockers. She handed me a bag containing some of the cookies we made in Home EC. "We hanging at your house?" Rima asked, tossing some books into her bag. "Yeah."

Ikuto met us with his friend, Kairi, at the front gate. We all walked to my house, joked, played games, and had a generally good time. Kairi, we learned, was a very nice person.

"Ring ring ring ring ring."

"Whose cell is that?" Ikuto asked.

"Oh, sorry." Kairi apologized as he picked up the cell and excused himself to the next room. We heard faint traces of his conversation, but were too involved with our card game to care.

He returned a few moments later and began to gather his things. "Sorry," he said. "I forgot that I had a date today."

"Yaya?" Ikuto asked, not looking up from his hand of cards.

"Yeah." Kairi walked towards the door and left with a slight wave and a smile. "Nice meeting you guys." He said cheerfully.

As soon as he left Rima sighed and slumped into her seat. "I want a boyfriend." She said dramatically. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What brought on this sudden development? You're the last person I expected to say that."

"I don't know." She answered. "I guess I just get a little jealous being around you and Ikuto all the time."

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE'RE NOT DATING?"

"Whatever. I still want a boyfriend."

"Me too." Utau agreed.

"I have a couple of friends who are single." Ikuto said, placing one of his cards on the table and picking up another. "Want me to introduce you to them?"

"Will you?" Rima asked him hopefully.

"Sure." He shrugged and placed a card on the table.

Rima's PoV

I glanced at Utau above my handful of playing cards. So she felt the same as me? Lonely and single. I sure hope Ikuto's friends aren't total dorks.

~A few days later~

Utau's PoV

My mouth was so wide open that, I'm sure people could see all the way down my throat and into my stomach. I mean, really, what did I expect to happen? Of course Ikuto's friends would be totally _gorgeous! _

In front of me were two of the hottest creatures I have EVER seen. One with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes that made me want to melt and one with black hair and several earrings.

"Wanna grab something to eat?" Mr. Chocolate Eyes asked us. We nodded and found a McDonalds. (Do not own)

I slid into a booth with Mr. Chocolate Eyes and Rima and Mr. Earrings sat across from us. I was bubbling with happiness and excitement inside. I can't help it! I think I'm in LOVE!

We all got burgers and started talking about life. Mr. Chocolate Eyes kept glancing in my direction and my heart fluttered each time. This was going _great!_

A phone rang. "That's me." Mr. Chocolate Eyes said, sliding out of the booth. "Be right back." He excused himself and stood outside the door of the McDonalds and talked to whoever interrupted our date.

I sipped on my soda and turned back to listen to Rima and Mr. Earrings's conversation. They were talking about some comedy duo and seemed to be getting along well. "You guys almost ready to go?" He asked us.

"Sure." I answered. "Let me as Kaito (Mr. Chocolate Eyes's real mane) if he's done with his food." I slipped out of the booth and skipped up to the door. I walked outside and picked up bits of his conversation.

"Gimme like 5 minutes man. We're gonna ditch these chicks n meet ya at Mai's house. Yeah, ya got the drinks? Alright, later."

Heat rose to my face as he hung up the phone. I was shaking with anger as I pushed through the door, grabbed Rima and my purse, and announced that we were leaving. Mr. Earrings look surprised, but not at all disappointed.

I dragged Rima past Mr. Chocolate eyes and out the door. I walked quickly, not caring about who I bumped into or about the ugly expression I had on my face. I didn't stop until we reached my house.

I slammed my bedroom door behind us and threw my purse on the chair. Rima lowered herself onto my bed and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Okay. Spill." She said, crossing her arms.

I sighed and sat on the bed next to her. I briefly told her about what I had overheard.

"Why must all guys be jerks?" She exclaimed in frustration.

"I don't know! It's not like we're dorks or anything."

"I know right!"

"I do know one thing though. As soon as Ikuto gets home, he's in serious trouble."

I lay on the bed and stared at the posters on my ceiling. There were over a dozen of them, all showing cool boy bands, actors, and singers. Rima lay down next to me and looked at them also.

"Why can't real guys be more like those guys?" She asked with a sad sigh. "Cool and charming."

"Yeah." I said with a bitter laugh. "Cool and charming."

"Not to mention chivalrous."

"And hot!"

We glanced at each other and fell into a fit of giggles. All of my anger melted away and was replaced by laughter. Eventually we settled down and continued to stare at the ceiling in silence.

"Wanna go shopping?" I asked and Rima nodded enthusiastically.

A half hour later we were at Loloa's Boutique scanning the racks of shirts and dresses.

"How about this one?" Rima asked, holding a light pink top. Then her eyes went wide and she dove behind a rack of tank tops, dragging me behind her. She stared through the shirts and out the window. I followed her gaze past a green sequined top and my eyes widened in response.

"That's Amu and Ikuto!" I exclaimed, my eyes following my best friend and my brother outside the window. "Are they on a date?"

They went out of view and around a corner. Rima and I threw down whatever clothes we were holding and rushed out the door. We crept up to the corner of the building and peered around it.

I spotted them at a street vendor, looking at some scarves. Ikuto pulled his phone out of his pocket and told Amu something. They started moving again.

As they walked, Rima and I followed, crouching behind hot dog carts and parked cars, earning a few weird looks from passers-by.

The two walked into a knick-knack shop and we slipped in behind them, busying ourselves by looking intently at a picture of a man on a horse, secretly watching our friends out of the corners of our eyes.

While they were laughing at a pair of penguin-shaped salt and pepper shakers, I tried to creep closer. I stubbed my toe on a miscellaneous bird bath and accidentally called out, "Oww!"

Panicked, I ducked behind an American flag table. Amu turned around, scanning the store for whatever made the noise.

Amu's PoV

I turned around, but saw nothing but knick-knacks. "What's wrong?" Ikuto asked, placing the funny-shaped fork back on the tray.

"Nothing." I said, shaking my head and turning around to face him again.

We moved out of the store and back onto the street. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and I turned around, expecting someone to be there. For the thousandth time today, I saw no one there.

"Why are you so jumpy today?" Ikuto asked, stopping to buy some roasted nuts from a vendor.

"I don't know." I admitted. "I just keep thinking that someone is following us."

Utau's PoV

I was getting more and more curious as to why they were together and why Rima and I hadn't known about it.

We followed them a little farther before hatching a plan.

"Why don't we run up a little farther than them on the street and casually "bump" into them while we're shopping?" Rima suggested.

We sprinted past them while their backs were turned and stopped, breathless, a few stores away.

Amu's PoV

I felt a gust of wind, as though someone were running past me, and turn _again_ to see who it was. _Again,_ it was no one. God, Ikuto must think I'm so weird!

We past a few random stores as we walked before a familiar voice stopped us.

"Amu? Ikuto?" They asked. "No way! It _is_ you!" I whirled around to see wide-smiling Rima and Utau facing me.

"H-hey guys." I greeted, surprised to see them. "Strange running into you. What'cha doin?"

"Nothin much." Rima shrugged. "What are _you_ guys doing?"

"Looking for a present for my mom's birthday." Ikuto said, looking at him phone. "I would have gone with Utau, but I thought you two were on that date."

Utau's PoV

I mentally slapped myself. Why hadn't I guessed that! She's my mom too! I should have known. I played it off by laughing casually, but I felt pretty stupid for thinking that it was anything else.

"Oh, yeah." Amu said. "What happened with that date? I thought you two would still be out with them."

"The two guys Ikuto set us up with were total jerks." Rima responded, glaring at Ikuto.

Ikuto's PoV

The icy glare Rima was giving me sent shivers down my spine.

"Hehe… sorry about that. Kaito and Shun can be a bit, umm, rude sometimes."

"Rude!" Rima said, her voice rising with every word. "Rude! They were more than rude! They didn't even want to be near us! They made plans to ditch us the second we met!"

"Guys?" Amu interrupted with a nervous laugh. "We're attracting a bit of a crowd. Do you wanna go to my house."

Amu's PoV

I looked between Rima and Iktuo, hoping they would comply with my request. A few people were staring at our group, anticipating the fight that would surely come next.

"Sure." Rima said with a sigh, releasing her glare on Ikuto and slumping her shoulders a bit.

"Whatever." Ikuto said and we all started walking towards my place, Utau and I standing in between Rima and Ikuto, trying to keep them as far away from each other as possible.

I let out a long sigh. Why can't everyone just get along?

**Sakurai: Tada! All done!**

**Rima: That's it?**

**Utau: Yeah! I thought we were supposed to get boyfriends in this chapter!**

**Sakurai: Sorry! I had a bit of writers block!**

**Rima: But you made this chapter all about Ikuto and Amu again! **

**Sakurai: Well… this story is **_**about**_** them…**

**Utau: Are we not important enough?**

**Rima: Yeah! Are we not **_**interesting**_** enough for you!**

**Sakurai: Wait! I never said that!**

**Rima: *pulls out a gun* get her!**

**Utau and Rima: RAAAWWRRR!**

**Sakurai: HEELLLPPPP! READ AND REVIEEEEWWWW! **

**Kazuki: See you in the next chapter!**

**Utau: Give us boyfriends!**

**Sakurai: Leave me alone!**


	13. Paint and Tears

**Sakurai: Hey there readers!**

**Amu: It's been so long!**

**Kazuki: I've missed you!**

**Sakurai: I've missed you guys too!**

**Kazuki: I've missed you more than anyone!**

**Amu: Not true! I really missed Sakurai!**

**Sakurai: Umm… guys?**

**Kazuki: I HAVE DEFINETLY MISSED SAKURAI THE MOST! *Hugs Sakurai***

**Sakurai: GET OF! **

**Kazuki: No!**

**Sakurai: *pulls out machine gun* I. Said. Get. Off!**

**Kazuki: I'm sorry!**

**Amu: RUN! She's gone crazy!**

**Sakurai: MUAHAHAHAHA! *starts shooting around wildly***

***Kazuki and Amu are running***

**Sakurai: !**

**Amu: *cries* Sakurai doesn't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters!**

**Sakurai: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

**Kazuki: Help…h**

Amu's PoV

I looked between Utau and Rima and Ikuto, shivering from the tense atmosphere in the room. They were still fighting about the bad date even though it had already been a few days. They sat far away from each other in my living room.

I laughed nervously as we all sat in silence. "So… does anyone want anything to drink?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Whatever."

"Is water good with you guys?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Whatever."

"Okay. I'll be right back."

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Whatever."

"Sigh… will you please try to socialize a little while I'm gone?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Whatever."

"BYE! I'M GOING TO GO ADOPT A WALRUS AND TEACH HIM TO DO FRONT FLIPS AND USE A PAINTBALL GUN!

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Whatever."

I sweat dropped and walked into the kitchen getting four colored glasses and filling them with water. I gathered them into my arms and walked back into the living room, the silence still remained. "At least it's better than them fighting." I thought to myself.

I walked over to them balancing the glasses in my arms. Ikuto grabbed the blue one and began sipping it. Rima grabbed the orange one and Utau reached for the green one before I stopped her.

"No, take the pink one. I don't want it."

"Amu. How can you _not_ like pink? Practically everything you own is pink."

"I don't care, I still hate it!"

She chuckled a little before grabbing the pink cup from my hands. I sat down and started drinking from the green cup.

"Why don't we paint your room then Amu?" Rima suggested and the other two nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" Utau agreed. "That would be so much fun!"

"I don't know guys…" I said hesitantly.

"I have some paint at home." Ikuto said.

"ooohh… what color?"

"There's some red and blue and some yellow, I think."

"How about any purple?"

Soon they were immersed in the their conversation, the argument completely forgotten.

"Umm… hey." I tried to cut into their discussion, but they completely ignored me and continued talking about paintbrushes and drop cloths.

"So, when should we do this?"

"I'm free this Friday."

"I'm not."

"Saturday?"

"Saturday is good with me."

"Same here."

"Saturday it is then."

"Hey, guys, wait…" I said. "I didn't agree to this at all."

"Don't worry about it Amu!"

"Yeah, you'll totally love it!"

"Okay! See you all Saturday morning then!"

"Bye!"

"Later!"

Soon, I was left sitting alone in my living room. I sighed, amazed at how my friends could switch so easily from being in an argument to setting a date to paint my room. "This ought to be interesting." I said to myself."

~~~ Saturday ~~~

Ikuto's PoV

Utau and I knocked on the door to Amu's house, buckets of paint and brushes under our arms. Rima opened the door wide, a broad grin on her face.

"It's about time you two got here!" She said excitedly, grabbing some of the things from us and rushing us inside. Amu sat on one of the couches and waved hello halfheartedly.

Rima started up the stairs and Utau and I followed, Amu trailing behind us. We reached Amu's room and dropped everything, our arms tired. I noticed that Rima had probably gotten here very early in the morning because most of the furniture had been take out of the room already.

"So Amu," Utau started. "What color do you want?"

I looked at her and saw that she was completely spacing out. "Heellloooo… Earth to Amu!"

She looked up at me, startled. "What?"

"What color do you want to paint your room?"

"Uhh… what colors do we have?"

Rima jumped up and pulled Amu towards the cans we had lined up against the wall. "let's see… we have Red, lime green, light purple, and sky blue."

"Sky blue I guess."

I looked at her again. She seemed totally out of it.

"Come on Amu." I said. "Be more excited!"

"Sorry." She said apologetically. "I am excited. It's just…"

"Just what?"

She shook her head with a sad smile. "It's nothing."

"What do we have to do first?" I asked Rima.

"We should get the rest of the furniture out of here, put drop cloths over the floor, and then we can start."

We got right to work. It took all four of us to get Amu's bed out her tiny door. Once all of the furniture had been removed, we placed down the drop cloths to cover the floor and then opened the paint.

Rima dipped her brush in eagerly and slapped it onto the pink wall, making it blue. Utau did the same and I soon followed. I looked at Amu and she had a pained expression on her face.

"Amu?" I asked. She glanced at me.

"Sorry, I'll be right back." She walked out of the room and I looked at Rima and Utau to see what they thought, but they were too busy with their conversation.

"I'll be right back too." I placed down the brush and went after her. I found her sitting on the floor in the living room, her head resting on her knees and staring out into space.

"Hey." I said, sitting next to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Clearly, it's not nothing. Now what's bothering you? Do you not want to paint your room?"

"No, I do. It's just that…"

"What?"

"My mom and I painted my room together when I was little."

Ohh… that explains things. Like why she's been so spaced out today. I reached out my hand awkwardly and patted her on her head once.

"It's okay." I told her.

She looked up at me, tears forming in her eyes.

"But… it's all going away too fast."

"No, no. It's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"Amu. No matter what happens, your mom will always be a part of this house."

"But-"

"No buts! It's true Amu! Will you ever forget your mom?"

"No but-"

"Will your sister ever forget your mom?"

"No."

"I definitely won't forget your mom, so don't say that everything is going away."

"But…"

"It's okay to be sad, Amu, it really is. But don't worry about things like this, everything will turn out okay."

"But, it feels like if it paint the room, she will be even further gone."

"Amu. Your mom may not be here physically, but she will ALWAYS be with you."

"It's still hard."

"I know Amu. I know it is. But don't worry okay?"

"Okay…"

I ruffled her hair and stood up, motioning for her to do the same. She wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled a little before standing. She smiled at me. "Thank you Ikuto." She said quietly and I nodded.

We walked back upstairs and joined Rima and Utau, who were still deep in their conversation. I picked up my brush and touching it to the wall before glancing at Amu. She was smiling happily and joined in Rima's conversation. I turned back towards the wall and continued painting. What a good day.

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Saaya's PoV **(A/N: That's right. She's back)**

"Hey cuz, long time no see." I said to my older cousin Arata as he walked through the front door of my mansion.

"Hello again, my dear Saaya. How has my princess been?"

"Not so good I'm afraid."

"Oh No! What happened!"

"Well, there's this awful girl named Amu, who's been trying to come between my honey, Ikuto, and I."

"That's awful! How could she! That witch!"

"I know…"

I started to tear, with the help of the tear drops I had put in my eyes just before he walked in.

"Don't cry my dear! Just give me the address! I will take care of this awful girl for you!"

"Sniffle… are you sure?"

"Absolutely! Don't worry your pretty little head!"

"Okay…"

I pulled out the piece of paper that had Amu's address on it and handed over to Arata. He took it and walked away.

"We'll see who gets Ikuto, Amu." I said to myself with a chuckle. "Ha… haha.. muahahahahaha!"

"What's so funny." Arata asked, poking his head around the corner.

"Oh… Nothing!

**Sakurai: How'd you like it?**

**Kazuki: It was food.**

**Sakurai: Food?**

**Kazuki: Good! I meant good! Stupid Autocorrect…**

**Sakurai: okayyy… Please review!**


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